In the Shadows
by niteryde
Summary: Someone has neither forgotten nor forgiven the terror the Saiyan prince once inflicted across the universe, so long ago. And now that Vegeta has a family of his own, it's the perfect time to return the favor...
1. Bad people

**A/N: I knowww. I shouldn't start up a new story. I know it. But, damn it, I just couldn't resist! I woke up with a craving for watching some horror flicks, and in doing so, I was suddenly inspired by this idea. So, here goes…**

**I don't own DBZ.**

* * *

Bulma looked over at her husband out of the corner of her eye. Vegeta was sitting at the kitchen table in the spot he had claimed as his over twenty years ago, his usual morning cup of coffee in front of him. His hand was gripping the mug handle, but the coffee was untouched. The prince was visibly struggling to keep his bloodshot eyes open and not nod off right where he was sitting. Bulma shook her head at his stubbornness, and looked back down at the cup of hot chocolate she was preparing herself.

"Just say the word," she finally said, seeing Vegeta flinch at the sound of her voice. "I can go pick up some sleeping medication for you in an hour."

"Hn. Such things are for the weak," Vegeta grumbled, blinking his fatigue away. He finally raised his mug of coffee for some much-needed caffeine.

"Vegeta, you haven't been sleeping right for weeks now," Bulma said, shaking her head again as she mixed her hot chocolate. "Your nightmares haven't been this bad in years."

The prince lowered his mug with a frown. It was true. Bulma's presence in his bed had slowly, over the course of many years, reduced the frequency of his nightmares to manageable levels. Whereas before he was haunted every night by past tortures, both endured and inflicted, now the nightmares only came back once every month or so.

But several weeks ago, they had returned with a vengeance. He pushed harder in his training, trying to tire himself to the point of inducing a dreamless sleep, but it didn't work. Bulma's soothing touch and words after he woke from the violent dreams didn't work either. He was frustrated and exhausted. This was an old problem he had learned to endure once upon a time, but he was no longer used to getting so little sleep.

However, that did not mean he was about to take medication. He had tried that once long ago, and hadn't liked the side effects.

"They will pass," Vegeta finally said as she sat down at the table next to him. He raised his mug for another sip. "They always do."

Bulma sighed. "One more week, Vegeta. If you don't get at least six, good, uninterrupted hours within the next week, you are taking the sleeping pills."

"This isn't a negotiation," Vegeta said snidely.

"Yes, it is," she told him firmly, looking his exhausted features over. "You're like the walking dead, and I can't get any sleep either with you tossing and turning all night. So either you take the deal, or you start sniffing every meal for potential sedatives buried in your food to force you to sleep."

The prince glared at his wife, and was going to respond when their five-year-old daughter ran into the kitchen, sobbing almost hysterically. Vegeta winced a little; his head was not up for hearing his daughter's high-pitched wailing.

"Mommy!" Bra yelled, running right to Bulma.

"What's wrong, baby? Why are you crying?" Bulma asked, pushing her chair out enough to pick up her daughter.

"My fishies all died!"

"What?"

"They're all floating in the water! They're all dead, Mommy!"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," Bulma said, hugging Bra tightly. She gave Vegeta a confused look, and he shrugged with indifference, chugging down his coffee. "Maybe something was wrong with the water. We'll get you new fishies this weekend, and you can pick them out this time. What do you say?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and got up. He went to put his mug away, and then walked out to the living room, leaving Bulma to handle the latest family crisis. He sat down heavily on the sofa, and picked up the remote to turn on their big-screen TV to check the weather. If the intense gravity wasn't working, then maybe going somewhere with intense weather would finally push his exhaustion enough to where he could get some sleep.

Hell, maybe he could even invite Kakarot for a spar. After all, few things in life made Vegeta feel as good as when he got the chance to punch his rival in the face.

Vegeta put on the news channel to wait for the weather to come on. He tossed aside the remote and rubbed at his eyes, frowning as he listened to the news anchor on the TV.

"_We have an update with the epidemic sweeping across South City. Twelve more have died from the mysterious disease which they are now calling Code V. Doctors have reason to suspect that that the disease is viral, and are recommending that anyone with the following symptoms please stay home from work and school, until we have more information…"_

Scowling and with his eyes closed, Vegeta patted the sofa until he found the remote again. All he wanted was the fucking weather, not a report on the latest disease that was exploiting human weakness. He shook his head quickly, and raised the remote to change the channel when he suddenly froze at what was on the screen before him.

"_Everyone who has been afflicted with this disease has developed this terrible rash, right here,_" a doctor on TV explained, showing pictures of a woman's profile who was already deceased. She had red hair, but right over her temple there was a painful looking rash that looked almost like a burn in the shape of a V. Her hair was gone around it. _"We don't know how or why this is happening, but this mark is prevalent on everyone who has died from this disease." _They showed another picture of a young boy with the same mark on his temple.

"_If for any reason, you or someone you know starts developing the symptoms below, and/or you start developing a burning sensation near your temple, please check into the hospital right away. As of now, there has been no cure discovered-"_

The TV suddenly turned off. It took a moment for Vegeta to realize that Bulma had walked up to the TV and turned it off, and was staring at him in exasperation.

"Didn't you hear me when I asked you to turn that off? Bra's already upset enough, she doesn't need to see those kinds of things, Vegeta."

Bulma waited, expecting a fight over turning off the TV while he was watching it, something that always pushed his buttons. Instead, Vegeta just stared at her, his eyes distant and a confused look on his face. Bulma's features softened with concern as she walked up to him.

"You okay?" she asked him. He didn't respond until she touched his shoulder. He blinked a few times, and looked up at her.

"Did you hear about that disease they're calling Code V?"

"Yeah. It's really weird. I'm going to call Trunks later and make sure that he's taking care of himself. I know he's got midterms coming up, and sometimes he's not as careful as he should be."

She waited for a response, but Vegeta was zoned out again, his mind focused on that mark.

That mark… the V over the temple… he'd seen it before. There was a short period in his life when he got bored with the regular methods of killing his victims. He had improved his methods of destruction by branding his victims with the mark, burning it into their skin, right over the sides of their heads where it would hurt the most. In his native language, the mark meant "prince." It hadn't mattered who it was: old, young, men, women, children. He left all of their corpses with the brand on the sides of their heads, as a statement that the Saiyan prince was the most ruthless being in the universe, second only to Frieza…

"Vegeta, honey, just go back to bed. Seriously, you look completely exhausted and kind of pale," Bulma told him worriedly, bringing him out of his thoughts when she ran a hand through his hair.

He frowned, and reached up to rub his eyes again. That was a long time ago. He was what, a teenager? 18 years old in human years, just like Trunks? He shook his head, trying to rid the images of the TV from his mind. They were taking him back to dark places where he didn't want to go.

"I'm fine, woman," he finally growled, picking up the remote again. "And stop fucking turning off the TV when I'm watching it. Do it again, and I'll blast you to bits."

Bulma almost looked relieved to hear her husband speaking in his usual gruff ways. She gave him a small smile.

"Alright, crabpants, since you're back to normal. Can you check that tank in Bra's room while I take her to school? I checked it this morning when I woke her up and all the fish were fine. It's really weird that they would all die just like that."

"Fish die. Big deal. Just buy her more," Vegeta said with indifference, before getting smacked in the shoulder.

"Can you _please _be a _little_ sensitive, you jerk?"

"Fine. How about we cook the fish so they don't go to waste?" Vegeta asked with a smirk.

He raised a hand to block the swat aimed at the back of his head. Bulma tried to hit him with her other hand, but he caught that one too, and hauled her into his lap as she squealed.

"Vegeta! I have to take Bra to school!"

"She can walk," he said with a chuckle, forgetting about the grim newscast as he pulled his wife down into a kiss. For her complaining, Bulma didn't resist him as she deepened their kiss.

He managed to get some decent feeling up on his woman when he finally felt his daughter approaching. He pulled away, and knowing what that meant, Bulma pushed herself off him to smooth out her disheveled appearance. She jumped with a start when Vegeta smacked her in the behind, turning to glare at the smirking prince.

They both looked over as Bra came down the stairs. The little girl was all dressed, her pink bookbag filled and on her back. Bra looked at her parents, her eyes still red from her crying.

"Ready to go, sweetie?" Bulma asked gently. Bra nodded quietly. "Baby, I'm sorry about the fishes. But don't worry, Daddy's going to see what went wrong, okay? Come now, go say goodbye to Daddy so we can go."

Bra nodded again and walked over to her father. She looked up at him, and he could tell she was trying not to cry again when she asked, "Are you really going to check the fishies, Daddy?"

Vegeta gave Bulma a subtle glare, which she returned with a smug look. He looked back at his daughter, who had her blue hair tied up into side pigtails, and he sighed. He had no favorites with his children and cared about each of them in different but equal ways, but his daughter wore him down so much easier than Trunks ever had when he was her age. He attributed it to his old age making him soft.

"Yes, child," the prince finally said. "I will check to see what went wrong so the same thing does not happen again."

The little girl beamed, and launched herself into his chest. Vegeta grunted in surprise.

"Thanks, Daddy!" she told him happily, before reaching up and kissing him on the cheek. Vegeta frowned and awkwardly patted her on the back. She withdrew from him and flashed him a smile missing a tooth, before running over to her mother. Bulma smiled and winked at him, making Vegeta roll his eyes.

After they left, he put the news back on. He leaned forward and listened with interest to the reports on the strange new disease, frowning in thought as he did. Finally, when all he was seeing and hearing were things he already knew, he checked the weather. There was going to be some intense heat about fifty miles from the city. Perfect.

He got up to get dressed and go fetch that third class dog Kakarot for a good, old-fashioned Saiyan spar, when he remembered that he had to check the fish tank in Bra's room. Grumbling to himself, he went up the stairs to get it over with.

Other parents might have just gotten their kindergarten-age daughter a fish bowl with one or two fishes. Bulma and Vegeta though had put a wall-length, four foot high, first-class aquarium tank in their daughter's room for her third birthday. At night, the tank lit up and gave the room a soft blue that helped Bra sleep when she was learning to do so without her crib. She'd had the same, rare, exotic fish since.

Vegeta entered his daughter's room and froze at the sight of the tank. Indeed, there were fishes floating above the water, clearly dead. What caught his attention though was the fact that the water was completely red.

The prince scowled and made his way over to the tank to investigate further. He leaned in close, looking carefully through the glass. Was that _blood_? How was that possible? His daughter would no doubt have mentioned such a thing. And there was no way the fish could possibly have so much blood to fill the entire tank. Any bleeding should have been diluted.

Utterly confused, Vegeta straightened and levitated into the air until he could reach the top of the tank. It was bolted high enough so that Bra could not meddle with it, but it was also out of reach for both him and Bulma. He lifted the top of the tank easily and his nose twitched a little at the strong stench that greeted him. He peered down at all of the fish. All of them were dead.

He dipped his hand into the water, scooping a handful of it up, and he blinked in surprise. If he didn't know any better, he would say it was body-temperature blood. Far from feeling diluted, it felt fresh from a kill. He hadn't felt this type of fresh blood on his hand in years, but it suddenly felt like it was only yesterday.

Vegeta frowned and shook his head, wiping his hand on the edge of the tank, and then he examined the fish. He reached down and picked one up. Bringing it up close, he examined it for any sign of bleeding. Turning it over to the other side, his brows furrowed when he didn't see anything unusual. He put the fish back and picked up another, and another, and another. None of them were harmed in any way that he could see that would make the tank so bloodied.

He put all of the fish back in, shaking his head in confusion. He was going to need to take the whole tank out of his daughter's room and probably throw the whole thing away. He put the top back on and fastened it as best he could, before lifting the entire tank off the wall. Turning around, he walked out, shaking his head the whole time.

Must've just been a bizarre, fluke thing…

* * *

"And you're making sure you carry the hand sanitizer with you everywhere, right?" Bulma asked, balancing her cell phone against her shoulder while she mixed a pot of soup for dinner that night. Bra was sitting at the table behind her, kicking her legs as she drew a picture of her family in her sketch book.

"Mom," Trunks sighed quietly on the other end, glancing back into his dorm room at the half naked girl laying on his bed. He wouldn't have answered, but he had already ignored one call from his mother. Ignoring a second meant he got a visit from his angry father, and that wouldn't be good tonight.

"Don't _Mom _me, Trunks. Those dorms are infested with germs, bacteria, and who knows what else. All I'm asking you to do is be careful."

"I _am_ careful. You don't have to worry about that weird Code V thing getting to me. I'm half-Saiyan remember? I don't get sick."

"Oh, yes you do, don't give me that," Bulma argued, right as Vegeta finally walked back in. She looked over at her husband, and frowned in disapproval at how dirty and bloodied he was. No doubt, a spar with Goku. The prince made eye contact with her and smirked, making her roll her eyes before she mouthed to him not to make a mess on his way upstairs. "Now, what is the deal with your poor score on that Calculus exam, Trunks? You better not be getting distracted with any hoochies over there!"

"Daddy?" Vegeta grunted in acknowledgement as he removed his dirty boots. "What's a hoochie?" the little girl whispered.

Vegeta chuckled and left his boots outside, before slowly walking over to Bra. His spar with his rival had been just what the doctor ordered. He was sure that a hot shower, followed by the delicious dinner Bulma was preparing, would do the trick and that he would probably get two whole days of dreamless sleep.

"Don't worry about that," he whispered back. He leaned down, resting his hands on his knees as he got close to his daughter.

"Daddy, you stink," Bra told him, her nose crinkling in disgust.

"Hn. So much like your mother," Vegeta grumbled, before his expression turned serious as he carefully regarded his daughter. "Bra, I had to take that whole tank out of your bedroom."

"Yeah, I saw," Bra said quietly, pouting a little as she looked down at her drawing.

"Before you left for school…did you see anything…strange, with the tank?" Vegeta asked her quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"How was the water?"

"I dunno. Looked okay to me," Bra said with a shrug. Vegeta frowned and fell into thought, and so Bra asked, "Why?"

"No reason," he smoothly answered, looking over her shoulder. "What are you drawing?"

"This is us! See, that's Mommy, that's me, and that's you, and that's Trunks with Goten!"

"Hn," Vegeta grunted, a smirk of amusement spreading over his face at the drawing. Bulma's head was ridiculously large, and Vegeta was way too tall. A very goofy-looking Trunks was playing video games with an even goofier-looking Goten, and Bra was standing alone with a sun around her.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect, princess," he whispered in her ear, as if telling her a secret. Bra beamed with pride as Vegeta straightened and walked away to take a much-needed hot shower.

The rest of the night passed by as it normally did. The three sat down and had dinner together, while Bra told her parents everything that happened at school. Bulma updated her husband and daughter on Trunks and how he was doing. Vegeta just ate and listened as best he could, but by this point, he was completely exhausted. The adrenaline of the spar he'd done was washing off and he finished his dinner with extraordinary effort.

Just because there was still a hint of masochism in him that would never fully disappear, Vegeta forced himself to engage in one last training session before bed. He wasn't going to take chances. He needed to sleep, and he was going to beat his body into the ground to make sure that he was far too tired to dream. He did an hour of hard work, and then went back upstairs for another shower.

When he walked out of the shower, though, he was met face-to-face with his angry wife.

"Didn't I tell you not to make a fucking mess when you came in, Vegeta?" Bulma hissed at him. Vegeta frowned at her.

"What the hell are you babbling about, woman?" he barked as he wrapped a towel around himself.

"You left blood and dirt footprints all over Bra's room!"

Vegeta froze, and rapidly replayed the events of the day. He hadn't gone to his daughter's room when he came back from his spar with Goku. He'd come straight to where he was now, taken a shower, and then gone back downstairs to join his family for dinner…hadn't he?

"…That _was _you, right, Vegeta?" Bulma asked worriedly, cutting the tense silence.

His brows furrowed as he looked his wife in the eye. After a few seconds, he shrugged, looked away, and grumbled a noncommittal, "Must've happened when I was taking the tank out."

Vegeta left out the fact that he was barefoot at the time he'd done so, and had made sure nothing was spilled. But he was also fighting fatigue that would've crippled nearly anyone else. Maybe he had accidentally wandered into his daughter's room after the spar after all.

But hadn't he removed his dirty boots before even entering the house?

"Well, just be more careful, okay? It took a while to clean and get that smell of blood out of her room." Vegeta nodded distantly, still looking off to the side, and Bulma reached out to his face. He turned his gaze to her, and she kissed him briefly on the lips. "I'll have Bra come in to say goodnight so you can get some sleep."

"No. I'll go say goodnight to the child in her room," Vegeta surprised her by saying. Bulma blinked a bit, but finally smiled and nodded.

"Even better."

She kissed him again and left the room to continue getting her daughter ready for bed. As soon as she did, Vegeta went over and sat down at the edge of his bed.

Something was wrong. Something was wrong, and he didn't like it. He ran his hand down over his face. He scowled and thought to himself for a while, mentally doing a ki sweep. No one was there except his wife and his daughter. Bulma's parents had moved out years ago to give the pair their privacy while they raised their children, but they weren't very far.

He shook his head, and then stood up. He exchanged his towel for a pair of comfortable shorts, and then went over to check on the only two women in the universe that he cared about.

Vegeta leaned his shoulder against the doorframe to his daughter's room, crossing his arms over his chest. He relaxed at the sight of them in bed together while Bulma read Bra a book. They both glanced up at him, and he nodded in acknowledgement. When they turned back to their task, Vegeta swept the room with a critical eye that he hadn't used in years. He examined every last inch of the room, until his gaze finally settled on the carpet.

Bulma had scrubbed the blood, but his trained eye could still see the small pigments of red in the pink carpet of their daughter's room.

Footsteps. Walking up to his daughter's bed.

That was where they stopped.

His stomach churned as his lip twitched. The tank wasn't in that direction. It had been bolted to the opposite wall. He took in a breath of air. A human would have only smelled the air freshener, but Vegeta could also smell the faded blood, the lingering smell of dead fish, his wife's perfume, his daughter's shampoo, and his own distinct scent from earlier.

No one else had been in this room. He frowned in confusion as he looked back down to the carpet. _Had _it actually been him? Was he really just losing his mind?

"Vegeta," Bulma called out to him.

He snapped out of it, and pushed himself off the door. Bulma walked past him, letting her fingertips graze his arm on her way past. He nodded to her and walked over to his daughter's bed, purposely following the barely visible tracks. Still, he smelled nothing.

Vegeta finally sat down on the edge of Bra's bed as she snuggled deeper into her blankets. He glanced at her briefly before looking down at the carpet by his bare feet, frowning as he did.

"It wasn't you, was it, Daddy?" Bra whispered. Vegeta immediately looked back at her in surprise.

"What?"

"Mommy said it was you, but I saw you take off your boots when you came in."

"It was from earlier. When I was taking out the tank," Vegeta replied with an indifferent shrug, not wanting to frighten her.

"But when I came home from school-"

"Bra," Vegeta said firmly. "It was me. End of story."

"I don't think so," Bra meekly said, burying herself even more in her blankets.

"Who else would it be, brat?"

"The bad people."

"The who now?"

"There are bad people in my room, Daddy."

"No one has been in your room, child. You watch far too much television," Vegeta grumbled, already making a mental note to talk to Bulma about reducing the little girl's hours.

"Nuh uh. I hear them sometimes, saying your name."

Vegeta shifted over a bit. He reached over and put his palm on the other side of his daughter so he was leaning over her. He could see her visibly relax at the gesture of protection.

"You want to know a secret, kid?" Vegeta asked quietly. She nodded eagerly as he smirked. "There isn't one person on this planet who your father can't scare the living daylights out of."

Bra giggled. "I already knew that."

"Then you know that as long as I'm here, there will never be any bad people in your room, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now sleep," he said, drawing away as he stood up.

"Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight."

He watched her for a second, before walking around her bed over to the window as he scanned it over. Exceptionally overprotective of his daughter, he had chosen her room to be on the third floor, one above his and Bulma's. There was no easy way for a human to reach the little girl's room. He had even gone so far as making his wife put up steel bars across the outside of the window.

Vegeta looked over his shoulder at his daughter to make sure she was asleep, and then checked the bars. He applied enough strength of a powerful human, but not enough strength for him to break the bars. They were rock steady. Nothing could possibly break those bars without him hearing it in his bedroom. And if he ever caught anyone trying, he would kill them without hesitation. He might have been _reformed _or whatever, but he was not above ripping someone's head off if they threatened his family. Bulma knew what Vegeta would do to anyone who dared trespass in their home with ill-intent, and had an extensive security system put into place to try to avoid anyone being murdered on her property, criminal or not. The alarms would have been triggered first before anyone got to Bra's bedroom window. He frowned and closed the window again.

Minutes later, Vegeta walked back into the bedroom he shared with his wife. Bulma was sitting up in bed, reading over a magazine. She briefly glanced up at him, before going back to her reading.

"How'd it go?"

"Fine," he answered curtly. He walked over to the screen door leading to the balcony, shut it closed, and then locked it.

"Cold?"

"No," he answered, testing the lock's strength. It was fine enough. He drew the curtains closed, and then added, "Just not sleeping here tonight."

"What?" Bulma asked, looking back up at him. "Why not?"

"You're not sleeping well with me here. I will spend a few days sleeping in a guest room until things are under control," he explained, walking back around the bed.

"Vegeta, I really don't mind."

The prince sighed deeply as he looked over at her. "Woman, I won't be gone long."

"Well, alright," Bulma sighed as he came up to her. He surprised her by giving her a deep, passionate kiss.

"Try to sleep well without me, foolish woman," he whispered teasingly.

"Oh, whatever," Bulma laughed, shoving him away. He smirked and turned away, walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Vegeta's smirk disappeared as a focused look settled over his features. He did another ki sweep before prowling the compound, his senses on alert. He made sure all of the alarms were properly engaged, before finally walking back upstairs after he was satisfied with everything. Instead of going to a guest room, though, he went back to his daughter's room. He cracked open the door and peeked in, but everything was as he left it. Bra was sleeping peacefully and soundly. He frowned and closed the door again, before finally deciding that maybe it was just his exhaustion getting to him.

He finally fell into his first deep sleep in a long time, sitting upright on the outside of his daughter's door.


	2. Not alone

"_You must be Tenshi. I am looking for the xiijen mineral," the eighteen-year-old boy said in a gruff, clipped voice. His tail was waving lazily behind him, a mark of his growing impatience as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I was told that you were the one who could lead me to it. Take me to it, and no more of your people will die."_

_The elderly blue alien woman was shaking almost uncontrollably from her fear. The young man standing in front of her had effortlessly led a purge that had resulted in the slaughter of over half the population of her planet. Now he was promising to spare the rest in exchange for the most precious mineral on her planet. _

_But one good look into the soulless and ruthless black eyes of the teenager in front of her, and Tenshi already knew that this boy would not keep his word. _

_As the oldest matriarch on the planet at over 650 years old, she was the sole guardian of the planet's most sacred mineral. She could not hand it over to the teenaged boy in front of her, knowing that he was going to turn around and hand it over to the cruel and sadistic Frieza. The mineral had powers beyond anyone's imagination. May the gods help the universe if Frieza uncovered the true secrets and potential of such a rare mineral. _

"_The xiijen is a holy mineral," she tried to reason with him, as a last resort. Tenshi shook her head, her pleading eyes meeting his. "Please, son, I cannot-"_

_Vegeta snarled and backhanded her hard, sending her crashing to the dirt. She let out a cry of both pain and terror as he put his boot firmly on the back of her head._

"_I am not your fucking son, you old whore," Vegeta hissed venomously, applying painful pressure with his foot that had the woman in tears on the ground. "And I don't care how _holy _this mineral is. Frieza wants it, and therefore Frieza will get it. I am offering you a deal. You would be wise to take it."_

_When he was met with a stubborn silence, the teenager sighed. He raised a hand up to his scouter and activated the communications link._

"_Nappa. Raditz. Bring them out so this bitch can talk," he ordered harshly._

_Reaching down, Vegeta grabbed the elderly guardian by the hair, brutally hauling her up to her feet. He dragged her with him as he walked for a few minutes, completely indifferent to her weak struggling. He could practically smell her terror, but all that did was encourage him even more. _

_Finally, he forced her down to her knees. The old woman looked like she aged another 650 years when she saw Raditz and Nappa both standing with almost a hundred completely terrified children in front of them. They were all her descendants, none over the human equivalent of ten years old. _

"_So, you were saying?" Vegeta asked in a sweet voice from behind her. _

"_Don't harm them, they are just children-"_

"_Oh, I know. And believe me, I love children. I will thoroughly enjoy…conversing…with each and every one of your kin for the answers you refuse to give me." _

_Tenshi was shaking with red tears staining her face. She looked into the eyes of the children in front of her, and didn't know if she had the heart to fulfill her duty and watch them pay the price._

_There was a low, throaty growl behind her. The vibrations of it carried Vegeta's brewing and almost tangible rage. How a boy so young could be filled with so much hatred, she would never know._

"_Maybe you still need some persuasion," Vegeta snarled from behind her. He raised one hand glowing with ki at the group in front of him, his hand slowly drifting to the side as he tried to pick his target. "Hn. There are so many children. Where do I begin?" he mused out loud._

"_No! Don't! I will tell you where the xiijen is…" Tenshi finally said, her voice hoarse with desperation and regret. "Do you promise to leave us in peace?" _

_Vegeta chuckled and lowered his hand, crossing his arms over his chest. "That was my original offer, was it not?"_

_There was silence for a few tense seconds. The children all glanced at each other, hope in their eyes that they might live through this yet. _

"_It's deep in the base of the tallest mountain here. The xiijen is a bright and pure silver color. It is unbreakable. You will find all that you need."_

"_Both of you, go retrieve it. Now," Vegeta ordered._

"_Already on it," Raditz immediately responded as Nappa nodded. They both turned around and took off into the air to go retrieve the rare mineral._

"_Well. Now that we've gotten that out of the way…" _

_Vegeta shoved Tenshi back down to the sand with his boot, and to her horror, he raised one hand and fired a ki blast that killed almost half of the children on sight. The survivors all screamed and started running desperately to escape. Vegeta raised his other hand and systematically fired ki blasts that blew out the legs of every last one of them, ending any possible hope of escape._

"_What are you doing!" Tenshi shrieked in horror._

_Vegeta snickered as he finally lowered both of his hands, looking down at her in clear amusement._

"_What's it look like, you old bat? Business is over. It's time for fun," he told her in a playful voice._

"_You promised…"_

_Vegeta smirked a cruel smirk. "I don't recall ever saying those words."_

"_Please, have mercy," she pleaded to him, as he started walking over to the closest child writhing in agony and bleeding in the dirt, a young girl._

_His face was hard with hatred when he looked back at her, his voice ice cold as he spat out, "Mercy is for the weak."_

_Vegeta forced the child's head to the side with his boot and raised his hand, which started glowing with ki. He smirked as he heard the child's ensuing screams of excruciating pain while he brutally engraved his new 'V' brand._

_After only a few seconds, though, things rapidly began to change. _

_The teenager blinked in surprise as the alien child changed under his foot. The blue skin had paled and the alien now had blue hair. The screams became painfully familiar, and Vegeta removed his boot immediately. He stared at the girl in wide-eyed horror as he recognized her as his young daughter, pigtails and all._

"_Oh gods," Vegeta choked out, no longer a teenaged boy. He staggered backwards, reeling from emotional shock, before looking up around him. _

_All of the children that he brutally tortured and slaughtered that day were now standing and surrounding him, staring at him with hate-filled, vengeful red eyes._

"_Sooner or later, Vegeta," they all chanted in unison. "You will pay for what you've done…"_

Vegeta woke up with a violent start, sitting straight up as he gasped for air. The prince looked around frantically, half-expecting to see haunting red eyes staring back at him. The only thing that greeted him was the darkness of his home. He was still sitting upright outside Bra's bedroom door.

He swallowed heavily, leaning back against the door. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to bring his heartbeat down. His eyes were hurting from how tired he was, and the pounding in his head told him he hadn't gotten more than an hour of sleep. He raised a hand up and rubbed his eyes, trying to make himself forget the nightmare that had been relentlessly haunting him over the last few weeks.

It was the massacre that sparked his reputation across the galaxies as Frieza's deadliest warrior. The violence he'd inflicted that day had topped anything he'd ever done before, and he had relished in every last second of it. Every scream had only heightened the experience, and he had fed off the terror of his victims to a degree that would have left Frieza proud. Vegeta himself had been proud afterwards, even boasting over the creative ways that he had tortured every last child right to their dying breath, all in front of the elderly matriarch's eyes.

The prince looked down a little, regret thick in his throat. As if the pure flashback wasn't hard enough to relive, it was compounded by the twisted ending his mind kept throwing in. The words the children spoke were the last words Tenshi had told him right before he brutally killed her. Between that and seeing his daughter as a casualty of his mindless violence, it never failed to leave him feeling deeply shaken and unable to go back to sleep.

Once he regained his composure, Vegeta slowly got up to his feet. He turned and cracked the door open to his daughter's room for his own peace of mind. He watched her sleeping soundly for a few seconds to let his mind rid the horrible images of her mutilated body at his feet. Finally, he sighed and closed the door quietly.

Vegeta headed back to his bedroom to get into his training gear, since sleep wasn't happening that night. He entered quietly, briefly glancing at Bulma when he did. She was sound asleep on her side at the edge of the bed with her back to him. He moved in complete silence as he got dressed in the darkness.

Right before he left, though, he walked over to the edge of the bed. He hesitated for a second, before squatting down. He leaned forward and gently rested his forehead in the nape of Bulma's neck as he closed his eyes. She stirred a little at the contact, but didn't wake up. Vegeta breathed in quietly, letting his wife's scent and presence soothe him and rid the dark memories from his mind.

After about a minute, he withdrew and left their room for an early round in the gravity room, his nightmare finally fading to the background.

* * *

Bulma was the only one who noticed that Bra was unusually quiet that morning during breakfast. The little girl was a morning person, unlike herself, Vegeta, and Trunks who were all natural night owls. She only needed to come into her daughter's room once and the girl was awake, a far cry from the morning wars that had been waged trying to wake up Trunks to go to school. Usually, Bra talked everyone's ear off during breakfast, but she was just silently staring down into her bowl of cereal. She had barely touched it.

Across from their daughter, Vegeta was oblivious to the world as he slowly ate his breakfast. Bulma looked at him and sighed when she saw his eyes drifting closed as he briefly paused cutting a piece of bacon. She made a mental note to get him the sleeping medication after she took Bra to school, whether he liked it or not.

Sitting down with her own plate of food, Bulma glanced over at her daughter. The little girl was pushing her cereal into the milk, and then watching as it floated back up when she stopped. Over and over.

"You okay, kiddo?" Bulma finally asked, making Vegeta jerk awake. Bulma glanced at him, shaking her head as he picked up his large thermos of coffee.

Bra nodded, not looking up as she rested one elbow on the table, cradling her head in her hand. Bulma frowned.

"Are you sure?" Bulma pressed. The little girl nodded again. Bulma wasn't convinced, but let it go for now. "Did you want me to make you some scrambled eggs?"

Bra shook her head, and finally said, "I'm not hungry, Mommy."

Bulma looked over at Vegeta, and this time, he made eye contact with her. Their daughter had inherited her father's appetite. Though she didn't eat nearly what Trunks did at her age, she still easily ate more than four times the normal amount a human girl at her age would eat. She could normally put down five bowls of cereal in the morning. Bra not having an appetite was more than a bit unusual, and they both knew it.

Vegeta took a drink from his coffee, before turning his bloodshot eyes to his daughter. "What's wrong?" he demanded, his tone harsher than usual due to his exhaustion.

Bra squirmed a little under her father's gaze, before looking down at the table. Her voice was so quiet that Bulma had to lean in a bit to hear her response.

"I don't want to sleep in my room anymore."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow as Bulma said, "Baby, we're going this weekend to get you your new fish tank stocked up with all the prettiest fishes you can find. I know you're not used to the night light that I put in last night, but-"

Bra shook her head and cut in, "It's not the light."

"What is it then?" Bulma asked.

"I'm scared," the little girl meekly confessed. "I keep hearing the bad people in my room at night. They killed my fishies. They said so."

Vegeta exhaled through his nose in annoyance as Bulma gently responded, "Bra, there is no one in your room. It's all in your imagination."

"No, it's not. I hear them, they're there!" Bra insisted. She looked over at her father pleadingly, and Vegeta sighed before leaning towards his daughter a bit.

"Tell you what, kid," he said, his tone losing its harsh edge. "The next time you hear these so-called bad people, you tell them to come talk to me. I will blast them to pieces," he told her in a mock serious voice. Bra couldn't help but giggle as Vegeta smirked.

"Okay," the little girl said, visibly put at ease as she suddenly started eating her cereal.

Vegeta looked over at his wife who flashed him a dazzling smile. He was momentarily captivated, before shaking his head and sighing as he went back to eating his breakfast. These two females had made him so soft.

"Baby, I put the picture you drew on the fridge," Bulma said, making Bra look over. The little girl beamed with excitement.

"Thanks, Mommy! Daddy said my drawing was perfect," the little girl said, her tone clearly proud.

Vegeta chuckled. "Well, you certainly got the size of your mother's head right," he said, glancing up at Bulma with a smirk. She rolled her eyes at him.

"It's because Mommy is so smart, that her brain is bigger than everyone else's," Bra reasoned, as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

Bulma laughed, "Thanks, sweetie."

Their breakfast was much better after that. Soon, Bra ran upstairs to start getting ready for school while Bulma checked her emails on her smart phone. She glanced up at her husband when he finally stood up, before looking down at her phone again.

"How many hours did you get last night?" Bulma asked knowingly.

Vegeta frowned, and turned around to give her his back as he opened the fridge. "Twelve," he sarcastically spat out, digging for a water bottle. He couldn't find one.

"Vegeta, if you ever sleep for twelve hours without it being because you passed out, I'll take you straight to the hospital."

"Hn," he grunted, before closing the fridge.

As soon as the door closed, Bra's family drawing fell to the floor. Vegeta blinked in surprise, before squatting down. He finally stood and turned around, holding his daughter's drawing which was ripped into two pieces now. His brows were furrowed as he stared at the torn drawing of their family.

Bulma briefly glanced up at him, before doing a double-take.

"Vegeta!" she cried out in exasperation. "Can't you be more careful?"

"But…I didn't…" Vegeta muttered, shaking his head in utter confusion as he turned back to look at the fridge, as if he would find answers there. How the hell had the drawing torn? He hadn't even touched it. All he did was close the fridge door!

The prince looked back down at the drawing. Bra had drawn him first, at the far left. The tear had cut him clean off from the rest of his family in the drawing.

Vegeta didn't know why, but he suddenly felt uneasy as he stared down at the two separate pieces. He wasn't aware that Bulma had walked up to him until she took the torn drawing out of his hands.

"I'll fix this before she notices," Bulma sighed, turning from him. She opened a drawer and tucked the drawing away. When she looked back and saw her husband staring blankly at the fridge, she sighed again. "And after I drop off Bra at school, I am getting you some sleeping medication. You're starting to really worry me, Vegeta."

To her surprise, Vegeta nodded his acceptance after only a few seconds.

"Fine."

"Good. You'll feel better after some real rest," Bulma said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Besides. Trunks is stopping by this weekend, and you should be well rested so you can spend time with him."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Woman, you hound the boy too much. On this planet, he is a man now. He does not need to be here every weekend. Let him be."

Bulma huffed indignantly, "Trunks is only eighteen! Eighteen-year-old boys need direction, Vegeta, or they'll get away from you."

The prince frowned, suddenly remembering his vivid nightmares that featured him at the same age as his son. He looked away and reluctantly nodded.

"You have a point," he relented, right as Bra ran back in, her jacket and bookbag on.

"I'm ready, Mommy! Let's go!" she yelled out in excitement.

Bulma laughed, "Alright, alright. We're going," she said, heading back over to the table to get her phone so they could go.

Bra ran over to Vegeta, charging right into his midsection. The prince grunted in surprise as his daughter hugged him around his waist, resting her head against his stomach. He frowned a little.

"I love you, Daddy."

Vegeta sighed and put a gentle hand on top of her head, before quietly giving his usual response.

"Thank you, princess."

The little girl looked up at him with a bright smile, before taking off running out of the kitchen. Vegeta's gaze shifted over to his wife who was smiling at him.

"What?" he snapped, turning around and giving her his back as a blush spread over his features.

"Nothing," Bulma chuckled, coming up behind him. She kissed him on the back of his head, and he grunted in response. "I'll see you later."

"Fine," he replied, watching out of the corner of his eye as Bulma left the kitchen.

As soon as she did, Vegeta turned his gaze back to the fridge. He looked at it warily as he once again wondered how the hell the picture had ripped. There was a strange feeling in his gut that was making the hair on the back of his neck rise. He rubbed the back of his neck and frowned, walking out of the kitchen.

He must have been more out of it than he thought…

* * *

About four hours later, Vegeta was sprawled out on the sofa, in a deep sleep from the medication that Bulma had given him. She was sitting next to him, an enthralling crime thriller novel in her left hand. She had her right arm resting on her husband's chest while he had one arm thrown back over her legs. The compound was silent, and it was something to take advantage of as she got completely absorbed in her novel.

Bulma bit her bottom lip as she got to the bottom of a page. She raised her right hand to turn the page, when she suddenly got the frightening sensation of someone breathing on the back of her neck.

Bulma immediately got up and spun around, her heartbeat racing, but there was no one there. She looked around in confusion, before raising one wary hand to her neck. Her gaze lowered and settled on Vegeta as she briefly wondered if he was just using his superhuman speed to screw with her. But he hadn't stirred from her abrupt movement, his steady breathing uninterrupted.

"Alright, that's enough of this book," Bulma mumbled to herself, taking a deep breath as she settled her nerves.

She tossed aside the book in exchange for the TV remote as she settled in next to Vegeta again. She gently lifted him up a little and scooted over so his head was on her lap, wanting the reassurance of being closer to him. Vegeta muttered something under his breath, but didn't rouse as Bulma rested her arm on his chest again.

Bulma turned the TV on, and inwardly groaned when she saw that the only thing on TV were the reports on that strange disease, Code V. She bit her bottom lip as she watched the statistics circulating. She paid close attention to a map that they showed, highlighting prevalent areas that were being affected. Her home and West City College, where Trunks was a freshman, thankfully weren't anywhere close. After a few minutes, she decided to access the channel guide, not wanting to hear anything more about the disturbing new disease.

In the split second that the screen went black as the information loaded up, Bulma saw the reflection of herself on the sofa with her sleeping husband.

And standing behind the sofa, leaning over them, she saw a black silhouette with red eyes.

Bulma screamed.

Vegeta was awake and on his feet immediately, his right hand already glowing with ki as he scanned over where he was. He blinked heavily a few times, his hazy eyes settling on Bulma as his brain slowly processed where he was. Finally, he extinguished his ki and cocked his head to one side as he watched her. Bulma was glancing back and forth from the TV, to her side over the sofa, her face drained of color.

He was about to ask what was wrong when Bulma spoke up first. "I saw someone, Vegeta," she said warily, addressing him even though she wasn't looking at him.

Vegeta growled low in his throat. He felt horribly drowsy and sluggish from the medication, and didn't feel up for this.

"Woman, it's bad enough that the girl already thinks there are imaginary beings in her bedroom. As pathetic as that is, she is a child so she has some semblance of an excuse. You, on the other hand, are an adult, and a supposed genius to boot. So don't give me this bullshit," Vegeta sneered angrily.

"You didn't see!" Bulma shot back, now turning her full attention to him. She pointed right at the TV. "There was someone standing over both of us, Vegeta!"

"No one has been here," Vegeta growled, his eyes narrowing. Honestly, it was as though he was just a scrub human with how little Bra and Bulma believed him. "I would be able to smell them."

"But," Bulma sputtered, looking nervously over the side of the sofa again. She turned back at the TV and powered it off, but this time could only see herself and Vegeta in the reflection. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "But, I saw someone-"

"Bulma," Vegeta sighed, reaching up to briefly rub at his eyes. "It was probably just your brain playing a trick on you. You haven't been sleeping properly either because of me."

Bulma took a deep breath, her eyes finally settling on her husband who was looking at her with clear exasperation. His explanation was logical and after a moment, she accepted it and nodded.

"I'm sorry I woke you," she said guiltily, and Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"It's fine," he said in a gruff voice, waving a hand at her in dismissal as he headed upstairs to lay down. He hated when he felt sluggish like this, a reason why he hated taking sleeping medication. But on the flip side, he hadn't seen a thing in his sleep. It was a tradeoff that was certainly worth it.

"Um," Bulma spoke up hesitantly as he reached the stairs. Vegeta glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow. "Would you mind staying down here? Please?"

The prince reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. Finally, he sighed deeply and walked back over to the sofa. He sat down on it, and Bulma was leaning against his side a second later. Vegeta put his arm protectively around her, shaking his head as he did.

"I thought I only had two children to deal with," he grumbled, before he yawned. Bulma pinched him by his ribs, and he flinched a little.

"If I had a penny every time _you_ acted childish during the last twenty years, Capsule Corp would be worth twice what it is now."

Vegeta chuckled as she turned the television back on. He managed to watch about five minutes before he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was out again shortly afterwards, and Bulma eventually relaxed against him.

After all, with Vegeta by her side both literally and figuratively, nothing could ever happen to her.

* * *

"Woman, this is completely absurd," Vegeta growled angrily later that night. Bulma ignored him as she continued working on what she was doing. "I cannot believe you are actually doing this."

"Well, maybe if you wouldn't be opposed to Bra sleeping in our bed with us, then this wouldn't be an issue," Bulma snapped at him.

"The child has to conquer her ridiculous fears on her own. Caving into it will only make it more difficult for her to sleep alone later. She has to learn."

"Well, tough guy, guess what? She's a little girl and she needs to sleep. This will give her a good peace of mind, without her needing to sleep with us."

"This is only acknowledging that there is a problem, when there _isn't _one," Vegeta sneered, watching in staunch disapproval as Bulma synchronized up the old sound monitors. She had put them into the cribs of their children when they were both babies so she could hear them on the other end, and he was disgusted as she brought them out again.

"Oh? And how about your promise to blast away these imaginary bad people? Was that not acknowledging the problem?" Bulma teased, glancing up at him. Vegeta glared at her in response, before looking away.

"Hn."

He spun on his heel and disappeared into the bathroom in their bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Bulma shook her head, sitting back as she turned on the sound monitors. For some reason, it had taken far too long to pick up the proper radio frequency. There had been a lot of strange static noise that she had to actually dismantle the monitors to fix.

Truth be told, this was as much for her peace of mind as it was for Bra's.

She put one end on the nightstand by her side of the bed right as her daughter walked in. The little girl was wearing one of Trunks' high school football sweaters, which dwarfed her and came down past her knees. She was carrying her stuffed bear as she walked over to her mother.

Bulma gave her daughter a smile, opening her arms to her. Bra readily settled herself into her mother's embrace, clutching her bear tightly.

"It's okay, baby girl," Bulma whispered in her ear, before kissing her temple. "We're going to set up this monitor in your room, so if anything weird is going on, Daddy and I will hear. So you sleep easy, okay?"

Bra nodded, looking over the sound monitors. The reassurance calmed her, even though what she really wanted was to sleep in Bulma and Vegeta's bed, right between her parents. The little girl though was developing a bit of a pride streak, which was perhaps inevitable given who her parents were. She didn't want to outright ask, telling herself that if her parents could hear her, everything would be fine.

Vegeta emerged from the bathroom a moment later, flicking the light off behind him. He settled his gaze on them, and Bulma nudged Bra towards him. Vegeta bent over, putting his hands on his knees as his daughter approached him.

"Goodnight, Daddy," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Bra," he responded, letting her hug him around his neck. "Remember what I said. Anyone scares you, you tell them to come talk to me," he whispered in her ear. She nodded against him and let him go, giving him a small smile before going back over to Bulma, who was extending her hand to her. The little girl took her mother's hand, and they both left the room.

Vegeta watched them leave, before closing his eyes and slowly rotating his head in an effort to crack his neck. He glanced at the nightstand, and by the sound monitor was the bottle of pills to help him sleep. He frowned and picked it up, contemplating. After a few seconds, he put it back down. He had slept for almost five whole hours earlier that day, and he felt considerably better. He didn't need them tonight.

The prince walked out of his bedroom and did a ki scan, glancing upstairs where he could feel Bulma with Bra. He looked around, before engaging in a late night sweep of the compound. He made a stop in the kitchen to chug down a glass of water, all the while straining his hearing. He couldn't hear anything, and finally went back upstairs when he was satisfied.

He stripped down until he was only in his shorts and climbed into bed. Since he had gotten a good amount of rest earlier, he had agreed to give sleeping in his bed with his wife a try. He laid on his back and crossed his arms behind his head. He could hear Bulma and Bra's voices through the monitor, and that helped put him more at ease. He closed his eyes, and was soon asleep.

Some time later, Vegeta yawned and forced his eyes open. His room was dark now, and Bulma was next to him, sound asleep. Vegeta squinted over at the time. 3:12am. He rested his head back, and sighed in relief. Another sleep without nightmares. Things seemed to finally be going back to normal.

He was drifting off again when there was a rustle of static. The prince frowned, and the rustling grew. He opened his eyes and looked beyond his wife at the nightstand. The lights on the sound monitor were flaring up.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow as he rolled to his side, stretching over Bulma to reach the monitor. He glanced down at his wife, making sure he didn't wake her as he pulled the monitor towards him. The prince sat up in bed, bringing the monitor up close to his ear.

The rustling was periodic. Finally after a few seconds, Vegeta realized it was just his daughter breathing. He yawned and was going to put the monitor back, when the lights flared up all the way. He froze, staring down at the device. The rustling was gone.

He then heard an angry voice that wasn't his daughter's, whispering her name.

Less than a fraction of a second later, Vegeta threw open the door to his daughter's room. His teal eyes scanned over the room that was only lit by a small nightlight in the corner. Finally, his sights settled on his daughter. The little girl was standing at the window with her back to him. Vegeta's brows furrowed a bit, a chill running down his spine for no reason he could place.

"Bra?" he asked warily.

She didn't answer him. Vegeta glanced around the room again, and walked over to the little girl's closet. He checked it to make sure no one was hiding there, confusion etched in his features. There was no one alive who could leave the room faster than he had shown up. His sense of smell also said that no one had been in the room.

Finally, he walked over to stand at his daughter's side. Bra was staring blankly out the window. Her blue hair was damp with sweat, and it was only then that Vegeta noticed that it was incredibly hot and stuffy in the room.

He squatted down next to the little girl, losing his Super Saiyan transformation as he did.

"Bra?" he asked again.

His daughter blinked a bit, as though coming out of a daze. She looked over at her father with unhindered fear in her blue eyes.

"The bad people are mad, Daddy," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"What?"

"They're mad that I told you about them," Bra said in complete dismay, before running right into him. She hugged him tightly around his neck and whimpered in his ear, "I'm scared."

"It's alright," Vegeta reassured her quietly. He easily lifted her up against him with one arm as he stood up, using his other hand to rub her back. Bra buried her face into the side of his neck as she clung to him tightly. "There is nothing to fear except this absurd heat in your bedroom. It seems to me that you'll be sleeping with your mother and me until we get that fixed. What do you think?" he asked her lightly, his earlier words with his wife long forgotten.

Bra nodded against him, before squeaking out, "Can I bring Runo?"

Vegeta sighed. "Yes, child," he said, walking over and reaching down with his free hand to retrieve her stuffed bear. He handed it to her, and Bra immediately latched onto it, practically burying it against Vegeta's throat as she tried to hold onto them both equally. Vegeta rubbed her back again as he turned and carried her out of her room.

He walked into his own room, going over to Bulma's side of the bed. Reaching down with his free hand, he touched his wife on the arm.

"Woman," he quietly said, watching as Bulma sighed deeply, before squinting up at him. When she saw that he had their daughter in his arms, she scooted back. Vegeta bent over a bit, lowering the little girl to the bed. Bra instantly crawled into her mother's arms.

"Shh, it's okay, baby," Bulma whispered tiredly, glancing up at Vegeta. He frowned and mouthed to her that he would be right back, and then turned and headed back out.

Vegeta scoured every last inch of the dark compound with a silent stalking that once made him the most dangerous adversary in the universe. Eventually, though, he found himself back in his daughter's room. One glance at the thermostat had his brows furrowing. It was over 90 degrees in the room. He flipped up the controls and turned the air conditioning on, immediately feeling the rush of cool air. The prince then turned around and stared into the darkness of the room, as though staring at an invisible enemy.

After a tense few minutes, he frowned and shook his head. This was absurd. There was no one there. He was wasting his time.

A minute later, Vegeta crawled into his own bed. Bulma was hugging Bra from behind, and the girl had finally fallen asleep with her mother close. The prince protectively wrapped an arm around his wife from behind, settling himself against her.

"What happened?" Bulma whispered to him.

"Nothing. She was frightened, so I brought her here. Go to sleep," he whispered back.

There was silence for a while, before Bulma whispered again, "Vegeta?"

"Hn?"

"Do you get the feeling that something is really wrong here?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know…like we're not alone?"

"No. Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep," Vegeta gruffly said. "You need to stop reading those ridiculous books. They are poisoning your mind."

Bulma sighed, before closing her eyes. "Yeah, maybe."

"Rest, woman."

And so she did. Vegeta stayed awake for hours though, listening to them both breathing.

He didn't fall asleep again until the sun started to rise.


	3. Oldest comes first

**A/N: I made up the names of the original characters in this story. Any similarities to anyone's name is purely coincidence. And thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

_There was a violent wave of blood that crashed into Vegeta, forcing the Saiyan down to the floor. The blood washed over him and overwhelmed him, going into his nose and mouth until he was desperately gasping for air. Fire suddenly rose up around him and quickly surrounded him. The prince tried to get up but he suddenly collapsed back to the floor, grabbing onto his head with both hands, his eyes squeezed painfully shut. The flames spread at a dangerous speed, flaring with rage while Vegeta writhed in helpless agony._

"_Do you think he's had enough for one day?" a haunting voice asked._

"_You're asking to show him mercy, but mercy is for the weak," another cold voice responded, as Vegeta opened his mouth in a silent scream._

"Dad!" Trunks breathed out as he shot up in bed immediately, drenched in sweat. His blue eyes were unfocused as he looked around his messy dorm room.

He reached up and brushed his sweaty hair off his forehead, and then closed his eyes to seek out his father's energy signal for his own reassurance. It only took him a second to pick it out. His father was home, and strong as ever. There was nothing amiss with the signal Trunks was sensing. He focused a little more, and could tell by the subtle fluctuations of ki that Vegeta was training.

Trunks let out a relieved sigh, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. There was still an odd feeling he couldn't shake though, a feeling that something was wrong. He started picking up his father's energy signal again when there was a stirring in the bed with him.

"Awake already? Thought for sure that you'd sleep in until noon," a husky and flirtatious voice said. Trunks barely noticed the sensation of a well-manicured nail trailing lightly down his bare back.

"Uh, yeah, sure," the teenager said absent-mindedly, still shaken up from his nightmare. He reached down and removed his blankets, sitting up on the edge of his bed. He picked up his boxers and pulled them on as he stood up, scowling as he did. Sensing Vegeta wasn't enough. He had to actually talk to him. Hearing his father's voice was the only thing that would make the feeling of dread in his stomach go away. "I'll be right back. I need to call my dad and talk to him-"

Trunks was immediately thrown back onto his bed. His blue eyes were wide with shock as he stared up at the girl who was now straddling him.

"Whoa," he said, looking up at her warily. "You're kinda strong for a chick, huh?"

"I work out," she told him flirtatiously, running her hands up his chest. He frowned and tried getting up again, when she forced him back down. Trunks blinked in surprise when he felt the strength in her hands, before his expression melted into the angry and intimidating glare he had inherited from Vegeta.

"Listen," he told her firmly. "I really need to talk to my dad."

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine," she said dismissively, scooting down lower.

"Yeah, he probably is, but I still-"

Trunks' voice caught in his throat. He forgot what he was saying as he closed his eyes, his worries fading from his mind as he relaxed.

"Call your dad later…"

* * *

"I want this one!" Bra shouted in excitement, before frowning. "No. Wait. This one, Daddy! It's the most BEAUTIFUL fishy in here!"

"Fantastic," Vegeta replied with complete indifference, continuing his shadow boxing in front of the gravity chamber without looking at his daughter.

"Daddy, you didn't even look!" Bra cried.

"I did too. I have Super Saiyan sight," the prince retorted, not missing a beat in his lightning fast movements.

"You're lying! You don't want to see the new fishies we're gonna buy!" Bra wailed in complete dismay, her voice breaking at the end.

Vegeta paused, looked up at the sky, and silently asked all the greater beings why he couldn't have given Bulma another Y chromosome. And here he had once thought Trunks was hard to raise when he was a little boy. Then he had thought Trunks was difficult going through his early teenage years. But now the truth was obvious. His son had only been a warm-up for the real challenge: raising a girl.

The prince sighed and turned around in complete defeat, walking over to where his daughter was sitting on the ramp to the gravity chamber. He reached down to the grass next to her and picked up his towel and water bottle, before sitting on the grass. He wiped the sweat off his face, the back of his neck, and his chest with the towel, before looking over at one of the magazines Bulma had given Bra.

"Alright. Show me," he finally relented, tossing the towel over one shoulder.

Bra smiled happily, scooting over to the edge of the ramp to be closer to her father. She practically shoved the magazine into his face, pointing at a specific yellow fish.

"Look! Isn't it pretty?" the little girl squealed in excitement.

Vegeta examined the fish in question, and his lip twitched in disgust. "Bra, that fish is not aesthetically pleasing at all."

"It's not what?"

"It's ugly," he spat out bluntly.

"NO IT'S NOT!" Bra yelled, making him wince. The girl had inherited her mother's lungs, that was for sure.

"Of course it's not. I was just kidding. It's a great fish," Vegeta immediately said when he saw that his daughter was on the verge of tears.

Bra sniffed a little, before squeaking out, "You mean it?"

"Yes, child," Vegeta sighed.

No, he didn't mean it. That was the ugliest looking fish he'd ever seen. He looked towards the compound, wondering what the hell was taking his wife so long. Goddamned woman was supposed to take their daughter shopping today to buy her a new fish tank, stocked with whatever fishes the little girl wanted. But she needed to "get ready" first, and so he was watching their daughter. Why she needed to "get ready" to go fish-shopping with a five-year-old, Vegeta would never know.

Females. He would never understand them, no matter how old they were.

"I like this one too! If we find him, I'm going to name him Nemo!" Bra excitedly told him, as she showed Vegeta the fish she was pointing to.

"Hn."

"Do you like this one here on this page?"

"Yes," Vegeta answered, trying his absolute best to sound interested.

"If we get this fish, I'm naming it Daddy Junior. His fin looks like your hair!"

"Is that so?" Vegeta growled playfully. "I'll have you know, girl, that if you name any fish after me, I will have that fish for dinner."

"Eww! Gross," Bra said with a giggle as she flipped through the pages of her magazine.

"Hey kiddo, let's head out!" Bulma's voice sounded out from the compound.

Bra quickly got up to her feet and dashed over to the door in excitement, juggling her magazines in her arms. Vegeta watched her go, before getting up himself. He picked up his water bottle and chugged it down while walking into the compound after his daughter. Bulma was closing the fridge door as he walked into the kitchen. She was wearing her shades and had her purse over one shoulder.

She looked over at him when he came in, and gave him a smile. "Hey, you sure you don't want to come along?"

Vegeta frowned as he filled up his water bottle in the sink. He was actually contemplating tagging along, for his own peace of mind.

Three days had come and gone without further incident, and things seemed to finally be going back to normal. He was getting more sleep, which helped a lot. He felt more rested and alert, and best of all, there were no more nightmares to deal with. They had just stopped cold, which he did think was odd. But he wasn't about to question his good luck. He was starting to think the strange events earlier in the week were really just because of his exhaustion.

Still, he hadn't completely relaxed. His daughter was still sleeping with him and Bulma at night until they got the new fish tank set up in her room. He had also become hypersensitive to both of their ki's, tracking them every minute they were in the compound that they weren't in his sight. And it wasn't often that neither was in his sight.

Vegeta glanced over at Bulma when she came up next to him. She kissed him on the cheek.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to, Vegeta."

The prince looked his wife over out of the corner of his eye for a few seconds, before reaching for her. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, sighing as he did. "Just be safe, woman," he told her quietly in her ear.

"I will, sweetheart," Bulma reassured him, rubbing his chest a little before leaning back enough to give him a proper kiss. He pulled her closer against him and deepened their kiss, but after a few seconds, Bulma broke it off. She gave him a quick peck on his lips, before pulling away from him completely. "That's enough until you take a shower, buddy. You stink," she told him playfully as she adjusted her shades.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned back to the sink, scooping up his water bottle. "Whatever."

"Call me if you want me to bring back anything."

"Hn. I'll tell you what _not _to bring back. Any hideous fish."

Their daughter suddenly shouted from the living room, "LET'S GO, MOMMY!"

"Alright, alright!" Bulma called back out. "Goodness. Impatient, just like her father."

"Loud and annoying, just like her mother."

Vegeta chuckled when Bulma hit him in the arm, before he walked both of them out.

Three hours later, freshly showered from his training, Vegeta began prowling the kitchen for some lunch when he heard a phone ringing upstairs. The prince glanced up towards the ceiling, and recognized the ring tone coming from his cell phone. He hardly ever used the thing, but he left the kitchen to go retrieve it anyways. Only Bulma and Trunks had the number, so it was worth answering. He ascended the staircase and finally entered his bedroom. It took a bit of rummaging around, but he finally found the device buried in the bottom of the closet. He looked at it, and saw that it was Trunks calling.

Vegeta flipped open the phone and growled out, "What the hell kind of trouble are you in now, boy?"

Trunks smiled on the other end. He felt better already. "No trouble, Dad. Just wanted to talk to you."

"Hn."

"How are you?"

"Fine. You?"

"I'm good," Trunks confidently said, sitting down cross-legged on a table outside of his dorm. He rubbed the back of his neck a little as he frowned.

"How is school?"

"Aw, it's alright. No sweat."

"No sweat, huh? Why are we seeing these shitty grades then?"

Trunks sighed and looked down a bit. "Dad, I'm trying-"

"Bullshit you're trying. We talked about this before you left for that school, Trunks. You said you were taking being the next in line for your mother's business seriously. Seems to me though that you only left to get laid and screw around. Well, Goten might be into that shit, but I won't tolerate that from you. You're a man now, so grow the hell up and act like it. You hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you," Trunks mumbled, outlining an old, derogatory carving on the table he was sitting on with his finger. His father was right; he hadn't really been trying. He nodded, even though his father couldn't see it. "I'll bring my grades up."

"You better." There was a pause, before Vegeta added, "And you better be wearing a condom."

Trunks smirked a little. "I do, don't worry."

"Good. Don't impregnate any stupid girl there, because I will kill you myself."

The teenager chuckled. "I'm not looking to be a dad anytime soon."

"Hn. Coming by this weekend?"

"Yeah, maybe tomorrow. I don't know. I got midterms coming up and I gotta start studying." Trunks started drumming his fingers on the edge of the table, scowling as he did.

"What's wrong, son?"

"Nothing."

Vegeta sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you that you can't lie to me?"

"Well," Trunks started, glancing around him uncomfortably to make sure no one was nearby. "I've been having these bad nightmares over the last few days."

There was a pause on the other end, before Vegeta asked in a neutral voice, "The last few days?"

"Yeah. Just giving me a bad feeling, that's all."

"What are they about?"

"You're always in them, and you're always in a lot of pain. Sometimes there's tons of blood. I don't know, it's just weird."

"They're only in your head. Harmless visions. Do something physical that doesn't involve a female. Train more, get yourself tired. They'll go away."

Trunks nodded, sighing quietly as he did. "Alright."

"Good."

"I'm gonna go do some work, but thanks, Dad."

"Hn. If you decide not to come this weekend, call your mother and let her know."

Trunks and Vegeta both hung up at the same time. The teenager leaned forward, cradling his chin in one hand as he rested his elbow on his knee. He zoned out as he watched the students on his campus walk by. Some girls glanced his way, but he didn't notice. He felt better after talking to his father. The feeling of dread was gone. Vegeta was fine and still himself. Nothing was amiss that Trunks could see. He reached up and massaged at his temple a bit, wondering why he still felt so out of sorts.

Trunks was frightened nearly half to death when someone grabbed his shoulders roughly from behind. The teenager immediately shot to his feet, spun around, and raised his hand out in front of him. He then cursed under his breath as he watched Goten burst out into loud laughter.

"You son of a bitch," Trunks growled at him, taking a breath to steady his nerves.

"Oh, I got you good," Goten laughed, sitting down on the table where Trunks had been just a second ago. "You were pretty deep in thought, man. I couldn't resist."

"Hn." Trunks reached up and rubbed at his eyes a bit as Goten's smile melted into mild concern.

"You feeling alright? You don't look so good."

"Nah, I'm good," Trunks said, lowering his hand and looking at his best friend. "What's up?"

"It's Saturday, Trunks. Where are the good parties at tonight?"

"Not tonight, man. I have to start studying for my midterms."

"Oh come on. Seriously? On a Saturday night? Study tomorrow! Look at you, you're all wound up. You look like you could use a few drinks."

"Well," Trunks said, smirking a little. "Maybe if I get some work done this afternoon, then I can have the night off. Beta Yhi is having a party tonight, and I'm invited. They want me to pledge so they're recruiting pretty heavy."

Goten laughed, "Well, let's not disappoint. They can start recruiting me too, since I already know I'll be coming here next year. Though not in the honors engineering program like you, nerd." The two shared in a fist-bump as Trunks' smirk spread.

"Hater. I can't help it that I can pull the grades when I feel like it."

"Yeah yeah, rub it in why don't ya. Anyways, you gotta introduce me to that new girl you're shacking up with. I gotta see this chick to believe that she's as good-looking as you say she is."

"Don't worry. She'll be there tonight."

* * *

Bra had her nose plastered against the glass of the new aquarium tank in her room later that day. She was smiling happily as she watched her new fish swim around. Bulma and Vegeta were both standing on opposite ends of the tank. She was making sure that the light in the tank would turn on when the bedroom light turned off, and he was making sure the tank was adequately mounted to the wall.

"They're all so pretty!" Bra gushed in giddy excitement.

"They are. You did a great job picking them out," Bulma said, finally stepping over to her daughter when she was satisfied with the light.

Vegeta finally pulled away as well, and looked at both of them. Bulma rubbed Bra's back while she pointed to the different fish, reminding her daughter what types they were. The prince watched them for a few seconds, and then turned around and walked out of the room. He went into his own bedroom, closing the door behind him. He was feeling oddly stiff, and figured a hot shower would soothe his muscles.

He was walking past the mirror to the shower, about to tug his t-shirt off, when a shadow passed over the mirror out of the corner of his eye. Vegeta stopped and let go of his shirt. He immediately backed up, and stared at the mirror. He could only see his own reflection. He frowned a bit, before opening the bathroom door and poking his head out. The prince scanned over his bedroom, and then looked towards the ceiling. His wife and daughter were still upstairs.

The prince closed the door, and then looked back at the mirror for a few seconds with intense concentration. He tilted his head when he realized there were faint scratchings on the glass. Had that been there before? Vegeta leaned in close, bringing one finger up. He gently outlined the scratches. It seemed to spell something out, but it wasn't in any Earth language. His mind rapidly tried figuring out what it meant, if anything. It looked familiar, like a language he'd seen before when he worked for Frieza, but it had been so long ago that he couldn't make any sense of it.

Vegeta cursed and spun around immediately when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He let out a deep breath, before glaring at his wife.

"Don't do that, woman."

"You okay?" Bulma asked, looking at him in concern. She could count on one hand the amount of times she had managed to successfully sneak up on and startle Vegeta over the last twenty years.

He nodded, before gesturing to the mirror over his shoulder with his thumb. "You seen this?"

"Seen what?"

"This," Vegeta said, turning and pointing to the faint scratches.

Bulma leaned in close, her blue eyes focused. She reached out like Vegeta had and gently traced them out. "Huh. Weird. That wasn't there this morning when I was getting ready. Or maybe it was. They're so faint, they could've been easy to miss-"

They both jumped with a start and Bulma shrieked when the door to their bathroom suddenly slammed shut. She immediately launched herself against Vegeta, clinging tightly to his shirt.

"What the hell?" Vegeta mumbled under his breath, blinking in surprise at the door. He quickly disentangled himself from his wife, and pulled at the door knob. His eyes narrowed when the door didn't open. He pulled on it again with enough strength to yank the door clean off, but it wouldn't give. Vegeta snarled with impatience and pushed Bulma aside. "Get back."

"Vegeta, don't-" she started to warn him, but she couldn't get a chance to say anything more before Vegeta lifted his leg and kicked the door with a brutal force. The wooden door didn't budge, but his leg did. The prince instantly collapsed, hissing through his teeth as he tightly grabbed onto his leg. "Vegeta!" Bulma yelled in alarm, kneeling down next to him. She gently touched his thigh, and winced when she could feel his muscles twitching painfully under his jeans.

"I'm fine," he growled, forcing himself to get up to his feet.

"What the hell is going on?" Bulma asked worriedly, holding onto his arm while he gave his leg a few good shakes to rid the spasms.

"I don't know," Vegeta admitted.

He pushed her aside a little bit, before rearing back and punching the door hard. His hand immediately started twitching as he felt the bones in his knuckles shatter to pieces. He grit his teeth, but was undeterred. Feeding off his pain, Vegeta shifted over one step and brutally slammed that same fist into the wall with enough force to level a mountain, to no avail. His hand was now twitching uncontrollably as he looked up and glared at the ceiling. He shot into the air and used his left hand this time as he punched at the concrete, but all he got for his effort was another broken hand.

"Vegeta, stop!" Bulma yelled at him when he descended back to the floor. "It isn't working, and you're only hurting yourself!"

He didn't look at her as she grabbed his hands in hers, examining the damage. She very gently sandwiched his right hand between both of hers, feeling his skin burning over the shattered bones. Bulma looked up at him, and saw that he was rigid with tension with a vein visibly throbbing on his temple as he looked around.

"I have to get out of here, Bulma," Vegeta said in a low voice, scanning the bathroom that was getting smaller by the second.

The walls felt like they were suffocating him and he was suddenly overwhelmed by raw claustrophobia. He hadn't felt so completely trapped in years, not since Frieza had thrown him in a small, dark cell at the bottom of his flagship when he was barely a teenager. His space pods? No problem - he knew exactly how long he would be in them, could see where they were going, could force a pit stop, and could fall into an induced sleep. That cell in Frieza's dungeons? Different story. He hadn't even had enough space to take one step forward, sit down, or lay down. It had driven him to the brink of absolute madness. He had nearly destroyed his body trying to escape, and then had clawed at his own skin from the suffocating isolation that stretched for weeks.

The trapped boy inside him howled now for freedom. He needed to breathe, but he couldn't breathe.

"Honey, it's okay," Bulma gently reassured him. Vegeta was glaring at the door, his expression well-guarded. However, Bulma could feel his hands shaking, and it wasn't because of the physical pain. "Let's just, think about this rationally and figure a way out. Okay?"

He shook his head, his jaw clenched tightly. "If I can't pound the door down, then I'll just blast-"

Vegeta froze, suddenly looking up towards Bra's room. He couldn't sense anything, but he could have sworn he heard something strange coming from her room. She wasn't alone.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath. His eyes flashed teal for a second, before a wave of golden light suddenly exploded around him, forcing Bulma to back up away from him. Before she could get out a word, Vegeta grabbed her by the arm and hauled her over to the shower. He ripped the shower curtain clean off with one swipe, and forced her into the tub.

"Vegeta! What the hell are you doing?" Bulma cried out as he forced her down.

"Lay down and cover your head," he ordered harshly. He covered her with the shower curtain before even giving her a chance to respond.

Bulma stubbornly yanked the shower curtain off, and opened her mouth to object. Her words died when she saw Vegeta standing less than a foot away from the bathroom door. Golden flames were raging around him as he pulled his hands back. A powerful blue light sparked up between his hands, and she ducked her head down, bracing for the explosion.

Right as he was about to fire, Bra opened the door.

Vegeta barely managed to stop himself before he killed his own daughter, pulling his ki back at the last possible moment. He immediately wedged his leg against the door to keep it open, before taking a deep, calming breath. He closed his eyes, and after a second, his Super Saiyan transformation disappeared.

When Bulma peeked over to see why Vegeta hadn't fired, she scrambled out of the tub and went over to her daughter.

"Baby, are you okay?" she asked Bra, kneeling down in front of her.

The little girl nodded, looking back and forth between her parents in confusion. "The bad people talked to me. They said the oldest comes first, and to have patience. I dunno what they meant. They scared me, so I came here."

Vegeta and Bulma both stared blankly at their daughter. Finally, the prince growled, before hissing to Bulma, "Watch her. I'll be back."

With that, he strode out to go check the compound. Bulma let out a shaky breath, trying to ignore the chills going down her spine at her daughter's words. She gave Bra a strained smile, gently rubbing her arms.

"You sure you're okay, kiddo?"

Bra nodded, before looking at her mother curiously. "Are _you _okay, Mommy?"

Bulma forced a smile as she nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay," she lied.

"Good. Cause I'm hungry. Can we have dinner now?"

Bulma stood up and took her daughter's hand. "How about we go out to a restaurant for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah!" Bra yelled happily, forgetting all about the strange people she had been talking to prior to coming to her parents' room.

"Okay, come on, let's go downstairs and get into the hover jet."

"What about Daddy?"

"Daddy will meet us downstairs, sweetie," Bulma gently said, even though she was almost hauling Bra with her. She knew Vegeta could hear them and would be there as she said. Right now, though, she needed to get out of there for a few hours and think logically about what the hell had just happened.

A minute later, Bulma was drumming her fingers along the dashboard of her hover jet, which was running on idle. Bra was already fastened and secured behind her, and was entertaining herself by playing games on one of Trunks' old ipod's. Bulma glanced over at her home while she waited for her husband.

Vegeta opened the door a couple of minutes later, and sat down in the passenger seat. He and Bulma exchanged a look, and he gave a subtle shake of his head, silently telling her he didn't find or smell anyone.

"Daddy, did you find the bad people?"

Vegeta glared at his daughter through the mirror. "That is enough about that, girl. I won't hear anything more about any _bad people, _do you understand me?" he demanded harshly.

Bra pouted a little, before nodding. It was very rare that Vegeta spoke to her with that tone, but she knew that it meant that the topic of conversation was officially over. She looked out the window towards her home, her eyes settling on her bedroom window as Bulma started up the hover jet.

Bulma massaged the back of Vegeta's neck soothingly to calm him down. His jaw was clenched almost painfully tight as he stared straight ahead. She let him go as the hover jet levitated into the air.

"Alright guys. How about we go check out that new fast food place that just opened on Red River downtown? I hear they have killer shakes and a place where kids can play," Bulma said brightly, making subtle eye contact with her husband. He nodded, knowing that what she wanted was to talk to him alone. Bulma looked over at her daughter and smiled. "What do you think? A burger and an oreo shake? Sound good, baby?"

"Yeah," Bra said quietly, smiling a little. That did sound good. The little girl looked back at the compound, deep down wondering if she could keep sleeping with her parents even though they had set up her new fish tank. Bulma set the coordinates, and the hover jet picked up speed before leaving the premises.

But not before Bra waved back at the silhouette in her bedroom window that was waving goodbye to her.

* * *

"What about Trunks?" Bulma asked quietly as she bandaged Vegeta's damaged hands. They both kept sneaking glances at their daughter as she played with the other kids. They were off to the side, away from all of the other parents as they sat at their own little table within eyesight of the play area. They both had two shakes in front of them, but they were untouched as they conversed in hushed tones.

"Talked to him earlier. He's fine. In addition, he can take care of himself."

"Something's not right, Vegeta."

"Might just be a joke. Goten and Trunks might be trying to be cute little shit-heads."

"Wouldn't you be able to smell them or sense them though?"

"Hn." Vegeta narrowed his eyes a little as he watched Bulma gently bandage his hands. His right hand was twitching badly. He briefly glanced over at Bra, before looking back at his wife. "What do you think?"

"I think maybe we should think about leaving home for a while until we figure out what the hell is going on."

"I won't run away," he spat out tersely.

"Vegeta," Bulma sighed. "You couldn't break through that door today. Don't you think that's weird? And extremely dangerous? What if something had happened to Bra?"

He glared at her. "I was going to blast the door down when the girl opened it."

"Alright, what do _you _think we should do then?"

"I think we stay. There must be a logical explanation for what happened."

Bulma hesitated, before venturing, "Do you think what Bra said might be true?"

Vegeta almost snarled in disgust. "Woman, you have _got _to be joking. Imaginary people, the constructs of a child's mind playing on her fears? Are we seriously going to entertain such foolishness?"

"I don't know!" Bulma said in exasperation. "It's just, I'm trying to think about this logically, but it's not making any sense to me!"

Vegeta sighed deeply through his nose as she finished up with his hands. He pulled them back and couldn't make a fist with his left hand. He couldn't move any fingers at all on his right hand. The prince scowled as he glared down at his hands, before shaking his head.

"Must be someone without any ki signature, somehow getting access. Rigged the walls to somehow withstand my strength, while I was training and you were at work, and the children were at school. That's the only logical explanation."

"Like an android?" Bulma asked worriedly.

"Yes, something like that. We'll stay, and put in motion detectors. They have to be highly calibrated for elite speed. Increase security inside the house. If someone is getting in, I will get them," he vowed.

"Fine," Bulma sighed. "We'll try it your way. But Bra sleeps with us until things go back to normal. And one of us is _always _with her."

"Fine," he agreed. He looked down and awkwardly pulled his shake close to him with his wrists, before glancing back up at his wife. She was watching their daughter playing, biting at her lips. Vegeta sighed, and scooted his chair around the small circled table so he was sitting next to her instead of across from her. Bulma turned her head a little towards him when he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Everything will be fine, woman. I am here, and I won't let anything happen to either of you. We'll figure this out."

Bulma smiled a little, before pulling back and kissing his cheek. "I know," she said confidently. She reached over and brought him his shake, pulling hers close as well.

They both watched their daughter play, each of them expressing outward confidence they didn't fully feel inside.

* * *

"That girl is checking you out, kid!"

"Oh yeah?" Trunks asked loudly with a smirk, looking over his shoulder. The frat party was fully underway, and it had a blacklight theme. He had worn a white t-shirt and it had already been branded all over by a slew of different girls (and Goten, who wrote NERD across Trunks' back). Sure enough, there was a girl across the darkened party who was ravaging him with her eyes. Trunks flashed her a confident and predatory grin, before turning and lifting his beer for another drink. "You might be right, Max."

"Hell yeah. See what I mean? You'd be right at home here," the tall senior boy told Trunks loudly over the blasting music, clapping him on the back. He put his arm around Trunks' shoulders, and put his other around Goten's. "I like both of you. You both got spunk. And you're decent students. Well, at least you are," he told Trunks specifically, before laughing at Goten's indignant expression.

"I'm decent!" Goten yelled out. "I got into this place, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but you ain't got the Briefs brain, kid!"

More than a little buzzed, Trunks laughed out loud, "Hey man, I can pass my classes but I'm not my mom!"

"You're acting like your mom's here though!" another boy informed him as he approached. "What's up, Max? You get these kids to pledge yet?"

"Nah. Not yet," Max said with a grin, before gesturing to Goten. "This one here's just a senior in high school. He's a baby."

"Hey you. Your name's Trunks, right? Trunks Briefs?"

"That's me," Trunks said, carefully eyeing the newcomer over. "You're Dao, right? Vice Prez?"

"In the flesh," the short and lanky junior said, patting Trunks on the back. "What about you, kid? Why aren't you going after that girl? She's been having sex with you all night with her eyes, and you're just sitting over here like you're scared."

"Man, I'm not scared," Trunks scoffed. "I already have a girl."

"Buncha lies!" Goten cut in. "You only talk about her, but I haven't ever seen her!"

"She'll be here. Relax," Trunks told him, lifting his beer for another chug.

"What's her name?" Max asked, turning around and scouring the party over. It was packed and dark with flashing lights, but he could pick out any decent-looking girl in record time. "Maybe I already know her."

"Her name's Kegan Xhao. And she's a fucking 15 out of 10 on the hotness scale, let me tell you," Trunks laughed.

Max and Dao exchanged a startled look, before they both turned to look at Trunks. "Her name is _what_?" Dao asked, his eyes widening.

Something about his tone made Trunks and Goten both look at each other. They both looked over at the boys with them. Trunks' eyes narrowed, before he said again, "Her name's Kegan Xhao. She's a freshman going into engineering, like me."

"Dude. You are really drunk, aren't you?" Max asked, patting Trunks on the shoulder as he examined him with a hint of concern. If anything happened to one of the underage kids at his party, the school would have his head.

"No, I'm not," Trunks shot back, a hint of anger in his voice now. Okay, so he was a little drunk. But he still had his wits about him, and he knew something was wrong here. "What the hell's the problem with you guys?" he demanded.

Max and Dao exchanged another look, before Dao looked back at Trunks. He studied him a bit, before carefully saying, "Kegan Xhao _was _a freshman here. She died, about twenty years ago."

"Man, get the fuck out of here," Trunks snorted, waving his hand in dismissal as he looked away. "I was just with her this morning!"

"Maybe it's another chick with the same name?" Goten suggested with a shrug.

"Must be," Max said with a shrug. "Girl got really sick and died, right in her dorm room. Freakiest thing. Healthy one day, dead the next. Poor girl."

"Well, obviously, there must be another freshman with the same name," Trunks argued, a little hot now with agitation over the topic.

Sensing the hostility coming from the teenager, the two older boys patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, relax, kid! So long as you're getting laid, then what does it matter?"

Trunks nodded, but his smiles and laughter were forced for the next fifteen or so minutes. He subtly pushed his beer away and stopped drinking, suddenly fighting severe nausea. The upperclassmen eventually left them to go try to recruit other freshmen, when Goten came up and sat down close to Trunks.

"Hey man, you alright?" Goten asked him quietly, examining his friend in concern as Trunks ran one hand through his now sweaty hair. "You want to get out of here?"

"Yeah," Trunks nodded after a second. "I don't feel so hot," he added, rubbing at his eyes.

"Alright."

The two teenagers snuck out of the party. Goten walked with his best friend up to his dorm room, and hesitated at the door when Trunks walked in. He buried his hands in his pockets, and said, "I'm sorry she didn't show, Trunks."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll see her around. You'll meet her another time," Trunks said, sitting down heavily on his bed. Goten nodded, and went to walk away when he looked back at his friend.

"You sure you're okay?" Goten asked again, frowning a little bit. "I can call my dad and have him I.T. you back home in two seconds-"

"No," Trunks said firmly, shaking his head. "No, I'm good, Goten. Just need to get some sleep, is all."

"Alright, take it easy then. Text me later."

"Yeah, will do. Thanks, man."

"No prob."

Goten left and closed the door behind him. Trunks sat in silence, waiting until he could sense his friend leaving the dorm. The teenager sat there, trying to ignore the feeling of dread spreading through him. It was just coincidence. That was all. Hell, maybe they were just screwing with him.

A second later, and Trunks shot into the chair at his desk. He opened up his laptop and fired it up from idle. He quickly pulled up the site where he could access the student listing, punched in the girl's name, and hit enter.

No results.

"Oh, shit," Trunks mumbled bleakly, reaching up to wipe the sweat off his brow. He took a deep breath and pulled up a web search, typed in the name, and hit enter.

He would have fallen to his knees if he hadn't been sitting. His hands were shaking as he saw the image staring back at him, the same girl he had been bringing to his bed over the last few days. The headlines all loaded up in lightning speed. "Youth dies in her sleep." "Autopsy for young engineering student inconclusive." "Strange viral disease claims young girl's life at West City College."

"Oh, shit," Trunks said again, shaking now as he stood up. He somehow managed to stumble out of his room and into the suite bathroom that he shared with seven other freshman boys. Without bothering with the light, he burst into a stall, dropped to his knees, and vomited until he thought he was going to pass out.

Finally, five minutes later, Trunks slowly pulled himself up. He weakly trudged over to the sink with incredible effort, turning the cold water up all the way. Not even bothering to splash the water on his face, Trunks just lowered his head in the sink. His head was right under the full stream of water, which was hitting him right on the temple, soothing the burning sensation while he panted for air.

Hallucinating. He must have been hallucinating. Was the entire thing in his head? Hadn't he touched her? He tried to draw up the memories of the physical contact. He was drawing an alarming blank. He couldn't remember the things he should have. What did she smell like? Feel like? Sound like?

This morning, in his bed. She pushed him down. Argued with him. Then, nothing. It was like he blacked out. And the other night. They had gone out for a bite to eat. But he had no recollection of the details: where they had gone, what he had ordered, what she had worn. Nothing.

Trunks squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember, but he couldn't think of anything except her face and her name. After a minute of agonizing over things he thought had happened, he turned the water off. His head was hurting with a vengeance. He swallowed heavily, and then raised his head to look himself in the mirror.

In the mirror, though, he saw almost twenty silhouettes standing behind him with red eyes. Trunks immediately spun around and faced them. He tried raising his ki to power up, but he didn't have the strength. He collapsed, falling sitting down, his eyes wide with fear.

The shadows suddenly advanced on him, and Trunks screamed.


	4. Getting his attention

"You're such an idiot!"

"I didn't know that this was going to happen!"

"They're going to blame US for this, saying it was our fault because we gave the underage kid alcohol! Don't you know who his mom is? Bulma Briefs will buy this fucking school just to have us both expelled! And have you _seen _those pictures the media got of his dad at the last World Martial Arts Tournament? If we don't get expelled then that guy is going to kill us! Shit, Max, what were you thinking inviting Trunks Briefs to the party!" Dao hissed furiously, pacing back and forth in his friend's dorm room later that night. Max was sitting on his bed, his red face in his hands.

"The kid was fine when we left him," Max argued weakly, his voice muffled by his hands. "I had no idea…"

"This is fucked up, man," Dao sighed, shaking his head in dismay as he continued his relentless pacing. He removed his glasses and rubbed one eye. "His parents probably know what happened by now, and if they don't, they will soon. This is _so _fucked up."

They both fell into a miserable silence. Dao put his glasses on and looked out of his friend's window, watching the freshman dorm across the soccer field. The flashing ambulance and police lights were reflecting back on him, washing anxiety over him.

"We need to go visit him as soon as we know where they're taking him. Make sure that he'll be alright. Show that we care, and tell him how sorry we are that this happened to him. Hopefully his parents will be less inclined to nail our balls to the wall if we do that."

"No way, man," Max said, shaking his head adamantly. "I don't want anything more to do with Trunks Briefs. He's seeing visions of the Xhao chick, and then this weird shit happens to him? Tch! _Fuck_. _That_. I don't care what you say, that is NOT coincidence."

Dao groaned and looked up towards the ceiling as he closed his eyes. "Max, you can't be serious…"

"Dude, listen to these posts going up on Facebook!" Max insisted, pulling out his cell phone with shaking hands. He quickly pulled up the website. "Here's Lin. She lives in the same dorm as Trunks. Listen to her post- _Just heard a kid downstairs screaming like he was being mauled by a pack of wolves while the floors shook like there was an earthquake! Now the power's down and we're on lock down… I KNEW I shoulda gone outta state when I heard the ghost stories…" _

Dao rolled his eyes. "That girl doesn't know what two plus two is -"

"Here's Mike's post- _Stopped by WCC Convenience at the frosh dorm when the floors shook, lights went out, and a kid screamed like he was being murdered. Now I'm stuck here on lock down and there are police and ambulances…fucking awesome."_

"Mike was drunk off his ass when he left tonight. He clearly still is."

"Here's Frank's post-"

"Max, stop it!" Dao cried out in exasperation, running one hand up through his spiked hair. "Trunks was drunk! _That's _why we're screwed – because an underage freshman was at our party, probably picked a fight with the wrong people, and now might not live through the night! It has NOTHING to do with some made-up folk story about a girl who died twenty years ago! Get your head straight, because we have to go see this kid to make sure he's alright!"

Max tossed his phone onto his bed, before wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans. There was an anxious jiggling to his knee as he mumbled, "Dao, what went down in that dorm tonight is not normal. Seriously, I don't want to go see him. _You_ go by yourself-"

"The hell I will!" Dao yelled, marching right up to his friend. He practically shoved a finger in Max's face as he continued, "_You_ invited Trunks Briefs to the party tonight, so _you_ aren't getting out of this. If I have to go face his parents and try to make the peace, then you damn well are coming with me to do it!"

Max looked away, staring off at the wall. Finally after a few seconds, he wiped his hands on his jeans again, and then nodded.

"Alright," Max quietly relented.

"Good. Now let's go talk to the EMTs before they take off so we can find out where they're taking him."

Max nodded. He stood up and followed Dao out of his room, silently saying a prayer for the first time in years that everything would turn out alright.

* * *

Trust. It was something that Vegeta still struggled with fundamentally, even after all this time. He trusted the Earth warriors, yes, but only in battle. On a deeper level though, he only trusted his wife and his children. That was it. Or at least, he thought that was it. Turned out, he was wrong.

Vegeta frowned and gently brushed his daughter's hair out of her face with his fingertips, the only parts of his hands that weren't bandaged. The little girl was sound asleep in his bed, in her usual shorts and one of her brother's sweaters. The prince sighed quietly to himself at the sight of Trunks' sweater, his stomach clenching with anxiety. He glanced up towards the ceiling when he felt Bulma start to leave their daughter's room. He then gathered his daughter up in his arms as best he could with his wounded hands, and lifted her up from the bed.

Bra stirred in his arms, peeking up at him. "Where are we going?" she whispered tiredly.

"Hush. Sleep, princess," he whispered back, cradling her gently as he turned to leave the room. Bra snuggled into his chest instinctively, and was asleep again before he even reached the door.

Bulma met him down the hall a moment later, carrying her daughter's pink bookbag, which was stuffed with clothes and toys. She checked the little girl in her husband's arms, before pulling out her cell phone and punching in a speed dial number.

Twenty seconds later, Goku appeared out of nowhere in front of them. His appearance showed that it was past three in the morning more than any clock ever could. He was in his boxers, his hair was a complete disaster, and his eyes were still bleary from sleep. It was obvious that Chi-Chi had literally just woken him up and he had immediately transported over.

His eyes quickly focused when he took a good look at his friends. Bulma's hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and she was still wearing the oversized shirt she had been trying to sleep in, having just thrown on some jeans to go with it. Vegeta's left eye was twitching rhythmically with his stress, and the bandages on his hands made it look like he had pounded glass for hours. They both looked completely exhausted.

"I'm so sorry to wake you, Goku," Bulma whispered. "But we have to leave right away, and we can't take her with us."

"It's alright, Bulma. How is he?" Goku whispered in concern, taking the pink bookbag from Bulma and slinging it over his shoulder.

"We don't know. We just got the call a couple minutes ago," Bulma answered, unable to keep her worry out of her voice.

Goku nodded, and then turned to Vegeta. He took a step towards him, already opening his arms to take the little girl from him. Vegeta scowled, looking down at his daughter. He didn't want to let her go, but he had no choice. They had to go see Trunks immediately, and it was not a good idea to bring the little girl along when they had no idea what kind of condition their son was in.

In the moment of crisis, it dawned on the prince that he had been wrong indeed, for there was one other that he trusted absolutely and completely beyond the battlefield. He was the only man in existence who Vegeta could leave his daughter with and feel assured that she would be safe. He was the man standing in front of him now.

Without a threat or warning, the prince stepped forward and handed Bra over to Goku, who took her gently into his arms. Bra stirred but didn't rouse during the transfer. Vegeta sighed as he looked at her, before his eyes shifted up to meet Goku's.

"Don't worry, Vegeta. She'll be safe with me," Goku assured the man he now considered a close friend.

Vegeta stared at him for a few seconds, and then turned around and walked away without a word. Goku sighed, before looking at Bulma. "If you guys want, I can drop off Bra at home, come back here, take you guys to Trunks, and then go back home. It would only take a few seconds. Or if it makes you feel better, I could take you guys right now, so Bra's with us the whole time-"

"Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm gonna have to say no. One teleportation is more than enough for her, and I don't want you to leave her," Bulma said tiredly, looking at her little girl. "Don't worry about me and Vegeta. We'll make it there fast, I guarantee you."

They both looked over when Vegeta approached them again. He was holding Bra's stuffed bear in his left hand, barely able to grasp onto it. He gently tucked it into his daughter's sleeping arms.

"If she wakes up, she won't go back to sleep without this stupid thing," Vegeta quietly said, before taking a step back. Goku nodded as Bulma came to stand next to her husband. She grabbed onto his arm for support, though she wasn't sure if that support was more for him or for her.

"We'll come get her as soon as we can. Thank you so much for doing this for us, Goku," Bulma told him genuinely. Vegeta nodded, silently echoing her words.

"It's not a problem. Let me know how he is."

They both nodded to him. Goku gently shifted Bra as best he could so he was holding her with one arm. He then put two fingers to his forehead, and they were gone.

Bulma and Vegeta both immediately headed downstairs without a word. Half a minute later and they were already in the air in Bulma's hover jet. Vegeta looked out the side window at the dark night, focusing on his son's ki signature as he had been doing since his wife got the call. It was weak, but it was steady. That was the only reason they were even remotely calm. The fact that their daughter had been sound asleep had also curbed any potential panicking, mostly on the part of Bulma.

"We'll be there in a few minutes," Bulma informed him. She glanced at him worriedly, "You can still sense him, right?"

"Yes," he automatically responded, keeping his eyes out the window. "He hasn't changed condition since the phone call."

"You didn't feel anything earlier? Someone with a high power that you didn't recognize or something?"

"No," Vegeta said, scowling at the window.

They fell into a worried and tense silence, before Bulma finally said in a quiet voice, "This is what Bra meant."

Her husband looked back at her. "What?"

"She said the oldest comes first, right? That's Trunks. Vegeta, what if someone is targeting the kids?"

He sighed, shook his head, and looked back out the window. "Woman, we don't know all the details of what happened to Trunks tonight. Let's find that out first before you jump to wild conspiracy theories."

Bulma sighed, but didn't say anything else. She would wait and see.

She had to wait longer than she cared to. They arrived at the hospital where Trunks had been taken to, only to find that they had to wait to see him. A well-delivered threat from Vegeta had the staff assuring the couple that they would see their son as soon as possible. The Saiyan relented only because he was able to sense his son. He sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting area for patients in the ER, and crossed his arms. He joined the others who were also waiting in staring at the television playing an old game show, without actually watching it. Bulma joined him after she filled out some paperwork, and then the waiting game began.

After thirty minutes, Vegeta angrily hissed under his breath, "This is absurd. What the hell are they doing to him?"

"They're taking care of him. We'll see him as soon as we can," Bulma whispered to him.

"Hn."

"Excuse me. Are you two the parents of Trunks Briefs?" a rough voice asked from behind them.

Bulma and Vegeta both looked over their shoulders to see a slightly overweight, middle-aged police officer standing there. They stood up, and Bulma extended her hand to him while Vegeta remained close behind her.

"Yes. I'm Bulma Briefs, and this is my husband, Vegeta," she said as he took her hand and shook it.

"I'm Officer Mick Stawlan. I'm sorry to meet you both under these circumstances, and I promise I won't take up too much of your time. I just have some questions I need to ask about your son."

"That's fine."

Vegeta followed his wife as they went to stand somewhere with the officer where they could be alone. His eyes were narrowed as he listened to the known events that happened that night. Trunks had gone to a frat party that night and had drinks. They assumed the alcohol made him vomit in the bathroom. What happened afterwards, they could only assume was some kind of assault in that same bathroom.

"The power went out in the entire building, and students have said they felt the floors shaking. It seems set up and predetermined, like someone generated a distraction during the assault. Is there anyone Trunks was having problems with at school who you think might have something to do with this?"

"No," Bulma said, shaking her head. "Trunks hasn't even been there two months. He's just a freshman and he's still making friends."

"I see," the officer said, taking notes. "And what about you two?" he asked, looking up and examining them both. Vegeta's respect increased a notch when the officer made eye contact with him without any kind of fear. "Is there anyone who would be targeting either of you through your son?"

Bulma shifted uncomfortably under the question. She had been wondering the same thing, and she had no answer. Upon seeing her hesitation, Vegeta stepped up a little.

"There is no one targeting any of us," Vegeta growled angrily. "Furthermore, even if there was someone with a vendetta, there are few who are strong enough to hurt our son."

The officer nodded, taking more notes. "Alright. We'll continue looking into what might have happened tonight; we don't want this to happen to any other students. Here is my direct number," he said, handing Bulma a card. "Please let me know if either of you think someone might be behind this. Also, as soon as your son feels up to it, we'd like to ask him a few questions as well."

"Thank you," Bulma said, looking at the card. The officer nodded to them and walked away while Vegeta snorted in disgust.

"Trunks, assaulted," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Give me a fucking break."

Bulma sighed. "I don't know, Vegeta…" she started, clearly unconvinced.

"There is no one strong enough to hurt the boy. It sounds to me like he might have had problems controlling his power," Vegeta reasoned. "That's likely the reason for the power outage and the floors shaking, rather than some human getting the best of him."

"Since when does Trunks have problems controlling his power?" Bulma asked, looking up from the card to make eye contact with her husband.

It was a good question. He had no answer for that. He looked away with a frown, trying to think about the situation logically. But he was running out of ground to stand on. Before he could get out a word, a short doctor with gray hair approached them.

"Mrs. Briefs?"

"Yes," Bulma said, turning around to face the newcomer.

"My name is Dr. Beason. I'm the attending physician responsible for your son."

"How is he?"

"The boy suffered a severe anxiety attack. The EMTs had to give him a strong sedative so we could treat him. We've run several tests to rule out certain conditions, especially for the new disease Code V, but things are coming back fine. It seemed to be a response to the assault he went through tonight. He will make a full recovery, and should be released soon-either tomorrow or the day after, at the very latest."

"So it _was _an assault?" Bulma asked worriedly, as Vegeta turned around to give them both his back.

"By the nature of his injuries, yes-"

"Where is he?" Vegeta suddenly cut in.

"He's recovering in room 310B."

He had barely finished giving them the room number, when Bulma and Vegeta were both gone in that direction. Their urgency came to a sudden stop though when they finally reached Trunks' room, both of them gazing at their son. Bulma paused for a second, before rushing over to him. Vegeta, though, remained frozen in the doorway. His brain briefly stopped working at the sight of his son.

Trunks was unnaturally pale and out cold, his hair still damp with sweat and sticking out in crazy directions. There was visible bruising forming on his neck and in splotches on his chest where it look like he had been struck hard. The prince wiped his brow with the back of his forearm, before slowly making his way over towards the bed. Bulma was gently running her hand through Trunks' hair as Vegeta came to stand on the other side of their son.

The prince's teeth were grinding together as his eyes swept over his son's battered form. He leaned down and examined the bruises on his neck further. Trunks' skin was raw and the bruises were shaped roughly like thin fingers. Fingers from a hand that had clearly wrapped tightly around his throat. Bulma didn't have to say anything to him, because there was no longer any doubt. Someone had gotten to his son and done this to him. Vegeta could hardly wrap his mind around the thought that there was someone out there who could be so powerful, that he didn't already know about. But there was no longer any other explanation.

Vegeta's eyes were furious as he struggled to keep himself in check. He could feel his ki start to surge against his will in response to his growing rage. When he found out who was responsible for doing this to his son, heaven help them…

"What the hell?" Bulma quietly asked out loud, bringing Vegeta out of his murderous thoughts. "Vegeta, come look at this."

"Look at what?" he asked, coming around the bed to stand next to his wife. He leaned in close while Bulma gently turned Trunks' head away from them so they could see the side of his neck clearer. Vegeta blinked in surprise at the mark on his son's neck. Someone had literally burned some kind of strange design right into his skin. The burn was covered with a gel-like substance to help it heal, but the mark was clearly visible. "What the fuck?" Vegeta whispered.

"Do you recognize this?" Bulma asked, her blue eyes filled with tears at the thought that someone had done such a thing to her son.

"It looks familiar," he admitted, scowling at the marking. He struggled to recognize it, but after a few seconds, he shook his head in frustration. "I can't place it…"

Vegeta very gently outlined the markings, his fingertips barely grazing Trunks' skin, when the teenager jerked in response to the contact. The steady beeping that had been monitoring his heartbeat suddenly skyrocketed as Trunks sat straight up, gasping for air and looking around in an incoherent but complete panic.

"It's alright!" Bulma and Vegeta both said at the same time. Trunks flashed his parents a bewildered look, as though he couldn't recognize them. He was breathing heavily as he looked around the rest of the room, slowly starting to realize that he was in the hospital.

"It's okay, sweetie," Bulma told him soothingly, rubbing his back and looking at her son in concern. The teenager was shaking. "You're okay now."

Trunks gazed around the dimly lit room, before turning back to his parents. His eyes slowly started to focus as he looked at his mother, before they shifted to his father who was watching him carefully. Trunks sighed in relief. Though he was still out of sorts from the sedation, he knew that Vegeta's strong presence meant that he was safe.

Gradually, his shaking started to stop. He closed his eyes, his panic slowly going away. Bulma sat on the edge of his bed, continuing to rub his back.

"What the hell happened tonight, Trunks?" Vegeta demanded.

Trunks stayed silent as Bulma reached up and brushed some sweaty hair out of his face. Normally, he would have been completely opposed to his mother fussing over him. But right now, it was only Vegeta's presence that was keeping him from desperately grabbing onto Bulma and not letting her go. To hell with his bravado. He was genuinely scared to a degree he hadn't felt in his entire life.

He welcomed his mother's contact as he tried working through his thoughts, which were fuzzy and disjointed. It was difficult. Trunks frowned, before speaking in an extremely hoarse voice, "I don't-"

His voice cracked before he started coughing roughly. Bulma looked around the room, before looking at Vegeta and pointing to a pitcher of cold water. The prince nodded. He went over and poured out some of the water in a plastic cup, forcing his hands to cooperate as he put a straw in. He brought it back to his son, and awkwardly held the cup and straw while Trunks greedily drank down the water to soothe the dryness of his throat.

Vegeta pulled the cup back when Trunks was finished. "Well? What happened?" he demanded again.

Trunks looked up at his father through hazy eyes. His voice was only slightly better as he started rambling, "They were shadows. Or ghosts. Spirits. I don't know but I couldn't fight them, Dad. They surrounded me. Then there was the girl. It was real. She was real. I know she was. I'm not crazy. I saw them. They had weird, red eyes. They wanted to kill me. They were going to kill me-"

"Alright, take it easy," Bulma cut in when she saw the machine begin to accelerate with his heartbeat during his ranting. When Trunks turned to look at her, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "We'll talk about it in the morning, okay? For now, just lay down and go back to sleep."

"I'm not crazy, Mom," Trunks insisted.

"No one is saying that you're crazy, sweetie. You've just had a hell of a night, and now you need rest."

The teenager frowned and appeared to consider her words, before looking back at his father. "You guys are staying, right?"

Vegeta was zoned out, scowling and looking off to the side at some of the medical equipment. _Red eyes…? _

"Dad?"

The prince snapped out of it and looked back at his son. He hadn't seen the boy look at him in such a manner since he was little and practically begging him to check under his bed for monsters he was certain he'd seen. Vegeta did the same thing now that he'd done then- give in, just so his son could rest easily. Though this time around, he didn't fight it nearly as much.

"Yes, son," Vegeta said, giving a curt nod. "We will be here. Now rest."

Appearing satisfied with that answer, Trunks slowly laid back down, wincing as he did. He shifted closer to his mother as she rubbed the top of his head.

"They said they'd be back," he mumbled, closing his eyes. "They'll be back."

"Shh, just sleep," Bulma whispered to him.

Trunks was out again in seconds, and Vegeta looked away as soon as he was. The prince looked out the window in the room, which overlooked the hospital outdoor parking lot and some residential homes beyond that. His son's explanation only left him more confused than ever. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up as he pictured the images from his nightmares. The slaughtered children with the haunting red eyes.

_Could it be possible…?_

Vegeta abruptly shook his head. That was a long time ago, and they were all dead. He had made sure of it. He had brutally massacred everyone on that planet, and then blown it up to pieces just for good measure. No, it couldn't be some survivor coming back for revenge.

He methodically sorted through the facts: The boy had been drinking. He'd been suffering from nightmares, therefore not sleeping well. Clearly, his strange explanation was the result of his incoherent state. In the morning, they would discuss the events again, with reason and logic.

"Vegeta?" The prince looked over his shoulder at his wife who was now standing behind him. "What do you think?"

"I think the boy was out of it," he answered, looking forward again. "Someone did this to him, probably taking advantage of the fact that he was inebriated. I will talk to him when he's more coherent, and then I plan on personally making sure that whoever did this to him pays for it." He paused for a moment, before adding, "Unless Trunks wants to do that himself."

Like their children, Bulma also drew reassurance and strength from Vegeta's presence. She needed to feel that now, because there was a knot of fear clenching in her stomach. She leaned up against her husband, hugging him from behind. He didn't respond to the contact, nor did he pull away as he continued staring out the window.

"What Trunks described…" Bulma whispered in his ear. "It's like what I saw in the TV a few days ago."

Vegeta frowned, his eyes shifting to the barely visible reflection of his wife in the glass. "What are you talking about, woman?" he demanded.

"Remember? When I bought you the sleeping medication? I saw someone in the reflection of the TV."

Vegeta cocked his head to one side. That day had been a blur of sleep. It took him a moment before he finally remembered what she was talking about.

"What of it?"

"It was just like Trunks described. A shadow with red eyes." The prince scowled and looked back down through the glass at the hospital parking lot. He said nothing in response, and so Bulma pressed on, worry in her voice. "I didn't tell him anything about it. There's no way he could have known."

When her husband's silence stretched on for almost a whole minute, she quietly spoke up again. "Vegeta?"

His voice was almost mechanical as he responded, "It's almost four in the morning, Bulma. Get some rest. We will talk about this more later."

"I guess…"

"Everything will be fine," he confidently affirmed. He raised his right hand and in a light caress, he barely trailed his fingertips over her hands which were still on his chest. "We will figure this out in the morning when the boy is more awake."

Bulma nuzzled her face into the nape of his neck for several seconds, before sighing against his skin. "Alright," she relented, finally withdrawing from him.

Vegeta watched out of the corner of his eye as she took a seat in an old recliner in the room, close to Trunks. He crossed his arms and glared back out the window. Bulma eventually fell asleep, and the sun eventually began to rise, but Vegeta hadn't moved an inch, not feeling the least bit tired. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but he was going to find out and put a stop to it.

If someone wanted his attention, they now had it.

Meanwhile, down by Mount Paozu, Bra was wide awake and clutching her bear tightly to her. She was wrapped up in a warm comforter, and Chi-Chi was only a couple feet away from her in bed, sound asleep. On the floor next to the bed, Goku was sprawled out on an air mattress in a mess of bed sheets, snoring away. It was dark in the bedroom, but Bra was staring at the third being in the room, which she could see clearly in the darkness.

"My daddy wouldn't do that," Bra whispered very quietly so as not to wake the adults as she clutched her bear tighter.

_Of course he would. He's evil._

"Nuh uh," Bra whispered with a frown. "He's a good daddy."

_Your father is bad. He will die last, so he learns._

Bra whimpered and buried into her blankets. "He's strong. He won't die," she meekly said, her eyes filling with tears at the mere idea of anything happening to her father.

_We're stronger._

"Not stronger than him."

_Do you want to see what your father is truly like?_

"I know what my daddy's like."

_Did you know that he is a murderer?_

"…he did shoot a bird down once…" she relented, frowning in disapproval at the memory.

_Don't worry. We'll show you the truth soon…_

"Bra?" Goku mumbled tiredly, finally stirred out of his slumber. He slowly sat up and squinted over at the little girl on the bed. Bra was shaking and fighting back tears as she clutched her bear for dear life. "Whatsa matter?" he asked.

"Nothing," Bra squeaked out.

"Who were you talking to?"

"No one," the little girl answered quietly.

"Well, alright," Goku gently conceded before yawning. "Try to get some sleep, okay?"

Bra nodded as the Saiyan laid back down. She pulled up her bear close and closed her eyes, willing her tears not to spill over. Goku was strong, just like Vegeta. He had assured her the first time she woke up that night that he would look out for her and that her parents would pick her up soon. She replayed that assurance in her mind for a long time. It wasn't until the sun was rising that she managed to fall asleep again.

A few hours later though, she woke up with a blood-curling scream.

* * *

"Why the hell do I have to be the one to carry these?" Max almost whined the next morning, juggling a huge bouquet of "get well" roses.

"Do you want to do the talking?" Dao hissed at him. Max shook his head. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Now just carry the flowers and shut the fuck up while I handle this."

The boys tried maneuvering around a slew of media folks and paparazzi who were trying to get the scoop on what had happened the night before. Bulma was at the front of them, and was trying to get the point across that Trunks was fine and that the family wanted privacy during this time. Still, the pictures were being taken and the message wasn't being received.

Suddenly out of nowhere, all of the cameras and camcorders exploded. Immediately afterwards, an angry man with flame-style hair stepped up next to Bulma and viciously snarled, "All of you will leave this hospital and leave my family in peace. NOW!" he screamed at them.

Everyone instantly scattered like rodents. Vegeta passed an ice cold glare to the two boys who remained, one carrying a bouquet of roses. The boys were completely pale as they stared at him in terror. The prince then looked at his wife who touched his arm and said something quietly to him. He nodded and they walked back inside together.

"Yeah," Max said, nodding. "Yeah, you can definitely handle this one, man." Dao looked at him bleakly. Max motioned with his head to go after Vegeta. "Come on, let's go."

"Yeah. Alright," Dao said quietly.

Both boys then headed inside, eager to get this over with. They got the right room number from the receptionist, and then quietly went up the elevator to go see how Trunks was, and hopefully get on the good side of his parents.

Dao knocked lightly on the door. Vegeta opened it, and both boys took a step back away from him. The man before them was completely intimidating, and Dao briefly lost his resolve.

"Who the hell are you two?" Vegeta demanded.

Dao cleared his throat, before forcing himself to say, "Sir, my name is Dao Chiang. I'm a junior at WCC, and VP of Beta Yhi. This is my friend Max Anderson, and he's a senior and president of Beta Yhi. We know Trunks, and came to visit to make sure he's alright."

Vegeta stared at the boy in front of him. His eyes narrowed and then shifted to the taller, blond boy behind him who was carrying the flowers. That one looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there and avoided eye contact with him. The prince studied him for a moment, before looking back at the boy in front of him.

"What the hell is Beta Yhi?"

Dao shifted uncomfortably, before quietly saying, "It's a fraternity-"

"So you're the fucks that got my son drunk?" Vegeta snarled angrily.

"Sir," Dao meekly said while Max tried raising his roses high enough to hide behind them, "We admittedly invited your son to a party we had last night. We were interested in recruiting Trunks to join us. Our fraternity only admits the best students, and we have the highest overall GPA of all the frats on campus. We take our work seriously, and we never intended for anything to happen to your son-"

"Save your prepared speech for someone who gives a shit," Vegeta hissed. "I will have a good discussion with my son, and then decide what to do about such a prestigious fraternity that gets underage students drunk."

The two boys could do nothing but nod. The prince looked over at Max, and ordered, "Bring the flowers inside. My wife will appreciate the gesture." The Saiyan stepped aside and let Max enter, but when Dao tried coming in, he extended his arm out and stopped him. "I didn't give _you _permission, boy. Wait here," Vegeta said, before disappearing into the room behind Max.

Dao took a few steps back and crossed his arms, anxiously watching the door. He hoped his friend would come out of this one alive.

"Hi, ma'am," Max said politely, reaching out to shake Bulma's hand. "My name is Max. I know Trunks from school. I brought these for him."

"Oh, that's so nice of you," Bulma said with a tired smile, taking the roses into her hands. "It is a bit dreary in here. These will liven the room up a bit."

"Yeah," Max said, uncomfortably looking out of the corner of his eye at Vegeta, who was now leaning up against the wall and staring a hole straight through him. Max buried his hands in his pockets and looked over at Trunks, who was still sound asleep. His eyes roamed over the now-nasty bruises, and he winced a little. "Is he going to be okay?" he quietly asked.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. He's a tough guy, just like his father," Bulma told him as she back down next to Trunks.

Max nodded and swallowed when he saw the burn on the side of Trunks' neck. His hands were shaking as he took a step back. He turned to the door, awkwardly muttering, "I need to step out and make a phone call-"

"You know something."

Max was startled as he looked up at the Saiyan who was staring at him. Max felt like he was completely exposed under his intense gaze.

"Sir?" he asked quietly.

"You heard me, boy," Vegeta growled. "You are hiding something, and you aren't leaving this room until you tell us what it is. And if you don't, then I will tell the police that you did this to my son."

"I-I didn't-" Max sputtered, shaking his head. "I swear, I had no idea-"

"Vegeta…" Bulma started, looking at her husband with narrowed eyes. "He's just a kid-"

"A kid who is hiding something, and I want to know what," Vegeta cut in, not taking his eyes off Max.

"It's…it's stupid," Max whispered, looking back at Trunks. "You'll think I'm nuts."

"Try me."

"The mark," Max said, his voice barely steady now. "I've seen it before."

Bulma and Vegeta were both giving him their full attention now. The prince stepped forward. "Where?"

"It's carved in one of the dorm room doors at school," Max answered, forcing himself to look away. "Everyone always tries to figure out what it means, but no one knows. The mark showed up one morning. The girl who lived in the room died sometime the next night."

"When did this happen?" Bulma quietly asked.

"Almost twenty years ago. The girl got sick and died, one day to the next…" Max said with a shrug, looking down at his shoes.

"How the hell do you know this?" Vegeta demanded.

Max scratched the back of his head, his eyes still down. "Aw, well, she's the only student who's ever died on the WCC campus. Students made up all kinds of stories and now it's like an urban legend kind of thing. It's been dying down the last couple years though, cause we got a new school president, and she warned us to stop spreading those stories. Talking about how we're scaring the pre-frosh away and disrespecting the girl's memory. You'll get in serious trouble nowadays if you pass it down and you're caught, but some people do it anyways. Our frat doesn't, though. We tell our guys the truth." He shrugged again and awkwardly kicked at the floor a little.

"What's the story?" Bulma asked. Vegeta stayed silent, also unable to help his curiosity.

"Well…they say that she didn't die in her sleep. Some say her parents killed her in some kind of weird ritual; they say her parents were fucking insane. Others say that she went nuts and killed herself. But the real story that gets people going is that some kind of evil force overwhelmed her and killed her. Regardless of what you believe, rumors say that the girl still can be seen around campus. Some guys swear they've seen her, and that she's always waiting. They say that on the anniversary of her death, you could hear her screaming on campus as she's dying. Course, a bunch of girls start screaming randomly on that day to scare the hell out of the freshmen."

"What was her name?"

"Kegan," Trunks cut in. They all looked at him in surprise. His eyes were unfocused as he looked over at Max. "Kegan Xhao."

"Xhao?" Bulma asked, blinking in surprise. Her face scrunched up a little in confusion, and she looked off in thought. "Where have I heard that name before…?" she mumbled to herself.

"I saw her," Trunks insisted, closing his eyes again as Bulma reached to him and ran a hand through his hair. "I felt her. I know I did."

Max shook his head and bleakly responded, "It's not possible."

"I saw her."

Max looked at Trunks for a few moments. Finally, he turned and tried walking out, but Vegeta was blocking the way. He looked up and easily met Vegeta's gaze. At that moment, he was more afraid of being associated with Trunks than he was of the Saiyan Prince.

"Sir, I've told you everything, and I'm really, really glad Trunks will be alright. But to be honest, this stuff is freaking me out, and I just want to go home," he borderline pleaded.

Vegeta studied him intently, before finally concluding that he was being genuine. He stepped aside and let the boy pass, watching him the entire time while Bulma's phone suddenly started to vibrate.

"Hello?" Bulma answered, turning away from both Vegeta and Trunks. "What?" she asked in a tone that immediately got Vegeta's attention. "No, it's okay. One of us will go get her. Thanks, Chi-Chi."

"What's wrong?" Vegeta asked when she hung up and looked back at him with concern.

"Something's wrong with Bra."


	5. Alien aura

"Kakarot. What the hell happened?" Vegeta growled as soon as Goku opened the door.

"She had a really bad nightmare," Goku answered, stepping aside as Vegeta stalked in. The prince made a beeline for the stairs, following his daughter's low ki signature. Goku followed him and continued, "She's been really shaken up ever since. We can't calm her down, Vegeta."

Vegeta hissed in exasperation through his nose. _More goddamned nightmares. Fantastic._ Without another word, he strode right into the bedroom that Chi-Chi and Goku shared, the younger full-blooded Saiyan right on his heels.

Chi-Chi was sitting at the edge of the bed, hugging Bra who was clinging tightly to her. The little girl's face was bright red as tears streamed down her face while she bawled miserably. Something in Vegeta's chest wrenched; there were few things in life he couldn't stand seeing, and his children suffering were among those few things. The prince scowled and quickly strode over to them.

He reached down to pluck his daughter out of Chi-Chi's arms, when Bra screamed bloody murder. Vegeta flinched back in surprise, and immediately withdrew his hands.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" the little girl shrieked at him with an alarming venom that was far beyond her years. She then buried her face against an absolutely stunned Chi-Chi and continued bawling. "I want my mommy!" she screamed.

Vegeta glanced over at Goku in confusion; the younger warrior could only offer him a bewildered look.

"Bra," Chi-Chi gently said, trying to pry the little girl off her. "Don't you want to go with your daddy?"

"No! I don't want him!"

The prince ever so subtly moved a little closer to his daughter. The little girl noticed through and tightened her grip on Chi-Chi in a panic. Vegeta's stomach churned when he sensed the sheer terror radiating off his daughter and realized that it was because of him.

He squatted down and tried his absolute best to make his rough voice as gentle as he could. "It's just me. I'm not going to hurt you, princess."

Bra suddenly looked at him and started screaming at him, "You're evil, Daddy! You killed all the babies and all the mommies and daddies and you're evil and I hate you!"

Absolutely thunderstruck, Vegeta could only stare at his daughter in open-mouthed shock. He was left completely at a loss for words as Goku suddenly stepped up close to them.

"Bra, now listen," Goku said, his voice gentle but firm as he frowned. "I don't know where you got that from, but your dad's a good man-"

"NO HE'S NOT!" Bra shrieked. The little girl was hysterical as she looked at her father, her red and tear-streaked face a mixture of terror, hatred, and disgust. Vegeta couldn't name the feeling that was suddenly making it hard for him to breathe as she continued, "I saw what you did, Daddy! YOU'RE the evil one!"

Vegeta's brain had completely stopped functioning by this point. The miserable excuse of an existence that he had prior to his life on Earth was a well-guarded secret that everyone kept from Bra. Vegeta had of course planned on telling her one day just like he had with Trunks years ago, but that day was _not_ today and he was not prepared at all on how to proceed.

"Bra…I don't—I didn't—" he started, his voice unnaturally weak. He was being completely disarmed by a five-year-old girl to a degree that he wasn't equipped to deal with.

"Bra, that's enough," Chi-Chi said sternly. She wasn't Vegeta's biggest fan by a long shot. Truth be told, she hated his attitude. However, the man had been an enormous help to her with both of her sons, particularly with Gohan when he went through a rough patch during his teenage years. Vegeta also made her best friend happy, and by all accounts, he had good relationships with both of his children.

It was the rare look of hurt on his face now though, that was making her try to defend him. And she wasn't alone.

"Your dad came over here to make sure you were okay, Bra," Goku said. "He's-"

"I want my mommy," Bra weakly sobbed against Chi-Chi. Her small frame was shaking from head to toe, and she refused to look at her father again. She had seen horrible, horrible things in her dreams. And it broke her heart. All she wanted was Bulma to come and tell her that her father hadn't been so evil. That it was nothing but a terrible nightmare. That the man she so completely adored, her father who she loved, was a good man. It had to come from Bulma.

Vegeta tried reaching for her back, when she flinched away from him. The prince withdrew his hand and looked away as he stood up. His body was unnaturally rigid as he addressed his old rival.

"Take me back to Bulma and Trunks, Kakarot. Then you can bring the woman back here," he ordered in a completely detached voice, staring out the window.

Goku looked at his friend in concern, but Vegeta wasn't showing his cards anymore. He was stoic and well-guarded as he kept his gaze averted. The younger Saiyan nodded. He put his hand on his friend's shoulder, raised two fingers to his forehead, and they were gone.

Bulma was sitting in the hospital room with Trunks. The doctor had arrived almost right after she received the phone call from Chi-Chi. Blessed with more patience than her husband, she had stayed to talk to him while Vegeta left to take care of Bra.

Trunks was now sitting up in bed. He was awake and alert, and currently wolfing down the hospital food the nurse had brought him. The sedative had finally worn off, and it was only a matter of waiting for a few more test results and filling out paperwork, and then he would be released. Bulma would have tried engaging him in conversation while he ate - but he was Vegeta's son, and when he was hungry, nothing else in the world mattered.

While she waited for him to finish, she looked up information on her phone regarding the girl that Trunks had mentioned. She was reading over the short death notice the school had made. Bulma frowned as she tried to determine why the girl's last name was ringing a bell.

_Xhao, _Bulma mused, her brilliant mind sorting through years of memories, digging for something. _I know I've heard that name before-_

Her thoughts came to an abrupt stop when she scrolled down to the end of the short death notice she was reading. Her eyes widened as she stared at the date the girl died.

She died the day Trunks was born.

"Mom?" Trunks asked, making Bulma flinch in shock and almost drop her phone. She looked over at her son, who was regarding her in concern. "You alright? You look kinda weird."

"I'm fine, hon," Bulma said, giving him a strained smile. Trunks wasn't convinced, but he shrugged anyways and went back to devouring his food. Bulma looked back down and stared at the date printed in front of her.

She was trying to dig up more information on her phone when Goku and Vegeta suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling her for the second time in under a minute.

"Goddamnit," Bulma exhaled, her hand over her heart. She looked at Goku first, and then at her husband. Vegeta turned around into the perfect position to give everyone his back before they made eye contact, and so Bulma looked back at Goku. "Where's Bra?"

"She wants _you_, Bulma."

"Oh," Bulma said, frowning a little. She put her cell phone in her pocket and stood up. She went over to Vegeta and put a hand on his lower back. "They'll be done with the paperwork for Trunks soon. It's just protocol now before they release him. Then you guys can both go home." He said nothing, and her frown deepened. "Vegeta?"

"Fine. Just go," he gruffly commanded.

"Alright," Bulma relented, removing her hand from him. She went over to Goku and nodded to him as he put a hand on her shoulder. Then they were both gone.

Trunks was chewing on a piece of bread, watching his father carefully. He scowled when he observed the rigid set of Vegeta's shoulders, and felt the low strumming of his ki. There were only two times in his life that he had sensed his father's ki vibrating that low. The most recent time was when Vegeta took him to train alone several years ago, and told him the honest, rough, and brutal truth of who he used to be and the things he did in his past. The only other time was the night after Buu was defeated, when the tension between his parents had been completely off the charts. It gave the teenager no reassurance to be sensing it again now.

"Dad?" Trunks asked, his voice clearer than the night before. Most of the bruises on his body were already healing, though it would take a while for his bruised ego to heal. Vegeta turned his head a little in acknowledgement, and so Trunks continued, "You alright?"

Vegeta nodded, and then disappeared into the bathroom without a word. Trunks sighed, shaking his head and resuming his meal. The faster he could get his strength back, the faster he could figure out what happened the night before and get himself some payback.

Meanwhile, in the small bathroom, Vegeta was tightly gripping onto the edges of the sink. He forced himself to calm down. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths while he turned on the water.

As soon as he did, the prince took a startled step back; there was blood coming out of the faucet. He quickly came back and turned the water off, watching the blood swirl. He waited a few seconds, and then tried again. Blood poured out again. The smell was unmistakable. He frowned and reached one bandaged hand to touch the blood, as though to prove to himself that he wasn't making this up. As soon as the blood touched his hand, the light went out.

"What the fuck?" he hissed under his breath, walking back out to Trunks' hospital room. It was dark there too.

"What's going on?" Trunks asked as Vegeta walked over to the window. The prince blinked as he stared outside. It was dark as night, but how was that possible? It was still morning, and the sun had been shining when he flew back to see his daughter!

"Power must've been shot," Vegeta answered, unable to keep the confusion out of his voice. What the hell was going on? He tried opening the window, and blinked in surprise when he found that he couldn't. He widened his stance and tried again, but he growled in frustration when he couldn't get a good grip because of his hands.

Trunks was alarmed when he saw that his father, the powerful Saiyan Prince, couldn't open a simple window. Either Vegeta was terribly ill, or something was seriously wrong. He put his tray of food aside, and threw the blanket off himself.

"Here, Dad, let me see."

Vegeta snarled something under his breath in frustration, but stepped back to let his son have a try. Trunks grabbed the window, and yanked hard – but it didn't budge. He and Vegeta exchanged a look of shock and unease, before Trunks made a tight fist. White flames immediately surrounded it as he reared back to punch through the glass, when Vegeta caught his wrist.

"Don't. You won't be able to, and you will just damage your hands like I did."

"What?"

Before either of them could get another word out, the PA system blasted out, "Everyone, please remain where you are. Repeat, REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE. We are working to restore the power as soon as possible. More to come soon."

"Wait here," Vegeta ordered, turning around and walking out of the room.

Trunks looked after him in surprise, before a look of stubbornness came across his features. He turned back to the glass window, and his ki spiked as he powered up again. The white light around his fist lit up the dark room, right before he slammed his fist into the glass window.

"OW! Damn it!" he hissed, pulling his throbbing hand back and rubbing it with his free hand, not having made as much as a crack in the glass. He hadn't used as much strength as his father did when he was trapped in his bathroom with Bulma, but that still hurt like hell.

"That's what you fucking get, boy," Vegeta's rough voice growled from behind him, making Trunks spin around in surprise. His father was standing in the doorway, looking at him in angered disapproval. "Now wait here, and try to listen to what I tell you next time, if it doesn't pain you too much," he sneered.

"Sorry, Dad," Trunks sheepishly said. Vegeta glared at him for a few more seconds, before turning and walking off again. Trunks frowned and went about getting dressed, not planning on staying in the room for much longer.

Meanwhile, Vegeta was feeling uneasy as he walked down the hospital hallways. It was completely dark. If his eyes were limited like a human's, he wouldn't have been able to see without using the wall to guide him. As it was, he was used to the dark and could move about easily. What was throwing him off was the fact that it was so empty. Where were the doctors? Where were the nurses? He looked over at the doors of the different patient rooms, sensing that people were still in their rooms. Though he could feel their weak ki's spiking in their fear and confusion.

Vegeta strained his senses further, and detected motion upstairs. He immediately headed that way, wanting to talk to someone to find out what was wrong. Just as he was climbing the stairs though, he felt the sensation of something brushing up against the back of his neck.

Vegeta spun around immediately, and landed sitting down on the stairs. Standing in front of him was a little boy in a hospital gown. The prince raised his ki to spark light around his hand, so he could see the boy better.

"It's your fault," the boy softly accused as Vegeta got up to his feet. It was only then that the Saiyan noticed the boy had a familiar brand on the side of his skull. Vegeta's stomach churned in disgust at the sight of the burned 'V', and then churned with something else altogether when he saw the weak and sick looking boy in more detail. He looked like he was moments away from dying, but his eyes were chilling. Vegeta felt unnaturally exposed as the boy's dead eyes searched his. "They told me it's your fault."

"…What?" Vegeta asked, before scowling at how weak he sounded. With his usual force behind his voice, he growled, "What the fuck are you talking about, boy? Who are you? Where the hell are your parents?"

"They're dead. Like everyone else. Because of you."

Vegeta stood up, and snarled, "Get lost, boy, before I put you out of your misery ahead of time."

He then turned around and marched up the stairs. When he got to the first landing, he looked back, but the boy was gone. Vegeta blinked a little, before he suddenly heard screaming upstairs. He immediately jogged up the stairs, though at his rate of jogging, it took less than two seconds to get there.

There was chaos and panic on this floor. Doctors and nurses were running, some people had flashlights, and there was a lot of screaming. Vegeta could feel everyone's ki spiked in panic. He tried seeing what was going on, to see if maybe he could help. Finally, his patience snapped and he grabbed a young nurse by the arm as she ran past him.

"What the hell is going on here, girl?" he demanded.

"Sir, please try to stay calm. We're getting everything under control-"

Vegeta shook her roughly as he growled, "Getting _what _under control?"

She squealed a little, before telling him, "The Code V ward is out of control. A few of them have escaped their rooms, and we think they blew the power. They also might have killed one of the doctors-"

"Where are they?"

"Sir-"

"Where?" he yelled in her face.

Completely intimidated by him, the young nurse pointed in the direction where most of them were running towards. Vegeta released her and headed over. These people were terminal, and it seemed to him, clearly insane. If any of them were a threat to the other people there, then perhaps he could step in and do something about it.

With every step that he took, the screaming and the panic intensified. His eye twitched when his nose registered blood. A lot of it. The lights flickered over him, sparking in and out, though Vegeta didn't notice that the lights were following him and him alone. When he got within feet of the main set of doors leading to the special ward, the lightbulbs in the overhead lighting violently exploded, sending a spread of flames across the ceiling.

If everyone was in a panic before, now it was complete terror as the flames spread at an alarming rate. The sprinkler system activated but failed to work as the flames spread down the walls and to the floor. Vegeta cursed, forgetting about what he was planning to do when he saw what was happening. He immediately turned to the fire and strode right up to it, while everyone ran around him going the opposite direction. The prince raised both of his hands and summoned up his ki, trying to put out the flames.

But as soon as he tried raising his ki, Vegeta dropped to his knees, his hands going to his head. There was a piercing sting in his head, and it made him cry out in pain. He doubled over, before realizing that the fire was getting way too close to him. He tried backing up, but it was suddenly excruciating to move. He bit his lip hard to stifle a scream of agony as his head suddenly felt like it was moments away from exploding.

Just as the fire was getting dangerously close to him, someone grabbed him by behind and hauled him backwards while simultaneously forcing him up to his feet. Vegeta turned around and put his hands on his son's shoulders.

"Dad! We have to get out of here!" Trunks yelled over the screaming going on. He looked at his father in concern when Vegeta leaned heavily against him, one bandaged hand going up over his eyes. "Dad?"

Vegeta shook his head quickly to snap out of it. He looked up at his son, one eye squeezed shut. "Stop the fire," he ordered. "I'll get these people out of here."

"But, Dad-"

"Do as I tell you, boy!" Vegeta yelled at him, finally batting Trunks' hands off him.

The prince strode off, and Trunks turned to face the spreading fire alone. He raised his hands and tried doing what Vegeta couldn't do, trying to trap the fire with his ki. There had been a few accidents growing up where he hadn't quite been able to control his power, and the result was a fire in their home. Vegeta had always shown up and put the fire out, and eventually, he taught Trunks how to do so as well.

But this time, instead of the flames dying down, they fed off his ki and seemed to come alive with rage. Trunks flinched back when part of the wall exploded. He was covered in sweat now as he coughed roughly, before he frantically looked around for some kind of fire extinguisher.

While he did that, Vegeta was desperately trying to figure a way out of this house of horrors. All of the humans were gathered downstairs, with some trying to bust out of any window that was nearby. Nothing was working. He saw some of them trying to open the doors to the stairs, but none of the doors were opening. He went over and effortlessly shoved some of the humans to the floor so he could have a shot. Raising his leg, he gave the door one good, hard kick – and almost collapsed when it didn't budge.

Vegeta leaned heavily against the wall to give his leg a few seconds to recover. The air was filled with smoke now, and it was stinging his eyes. The pain in his head was excruciating to the brink of being debilitating, and he felt the overwhelming urge to close his eyes and not open them again. Stubbornly though, he pushed himself off the wall, when he finally realized he was right in front of the Code V ward. The door was wide open, flames surrounding the edges of the door frame.

And standing there, staring dead at him, were all of the Code V patients in their hospital gowns. Vegeta took a step back, coughing roughly from the smoke. One of them, an elderly man, raised his arm as he pointed at Vegeta.

"This is your fault. You brought this upon us."

"What?" Vegeta coughed, taking another step back when he saw the blood on the man's arm.

"They drain us of our strength to fight you. If you die, we live."

"Wha-" Vegeta blinked in shock, "What the hell are you talking about?" He suddenly spun around when there was a loud crash behind him. The building was starting to collapse. "Trunks!" he yelled over the screams of agony.

He was about to run over to find the teenager when he was hauled backwards. The prince immediately turned back around and started fighting back. He hadn't taken anyone's life in years, but right now, he didn't give a shit how many of these people he killed. They were all insane and going to die anyways, and right now they were keeping him from finding his son. He kneed one of them hard in the stomach, and then elbowed another one of them hard right in the neck as he effortlessly dropped them, one after the other.

But he had sorely underestimated the resilience and desperation of an entire ward of terminal patients. One of them leapt up onto his back, fingers poised to dig his eyes out while the number game started to catch up to him. Vegeta instinctively tried raising his ki to force them all off him as they swarmed him, but the pain that seared through his head dropped him to his knees.

He furiously fought back, using his brute strength as he viciously broke bones and started breaking people in half. But it seemed that for every human he dropped, another two mounted him with surprising strength. He screamed in rage and frustration. The blood, fire, and death around him was reminding him of his purging days, and he suddenly tapped into that state of mind, dusting off an old psyche of violence that he hadn't visited in years. This was about survival now, and the Prince of all Saiyans was the ultimate survivor.

He worked his way back up to his feet, now leveling everyone that dared lay their hands on him with one blow each. Finally, he dropped the last patient, and then stood in the midst of bodies, half of them unconscious and half of them dead. Vegeta was breathing heavily, looking down at them with a mixture of confusion and regret in his eyes. He backed up, needing to get out of there, before a voice whispered in his ear-

"And they say you've changed. But a monster painted in lighter colors is still a monster."

Vegeta turned around, raising his ki even though he almost collapsed when he did. Through the thick smoke, he saw strange and dark silhouettes.

"Who's there?" he yelled. "Show your-"

His words were violently cut off when a huge chunk of the ceiling lights suddenly fell on right on his head with a supernatural and brutal force, exploding on contact. Completely distracted, Vegeta never saw it coming. He collapsed from the hard impact, and didn't get back up.

"Not yet, Prince…"

Meanwhile, Trunks had found a fire extinguisher. He was trying in vain to put out the fire, but it was out of control. His stomach lurched when he heard people screaming who were being burned alive. He had never smelled burning flesh before, and it immediately made him feel like throwing up. Finally, he threw the fire extinguisher aside. It was hopeless; if he couldn't stop the fire, then he had to get the hell out of there. He was struggling to breathe from the smoke as he tried to get himself oriented. In desperation, he tried using his strength to pound his way through one of the walls, but he couldn't do a thing.

When he suddenly felt Vegeta's ki signature drop dangerously low, Trunks ran in that direction. Parts of the building were starting to fall apart, almost seeming like they were trying to hit the teenager as he felt explosions right on his heels. He couldn't see a thing, and was only going after Vegeta's flickering and weak ki. He tried reaching to his father mentally, but Vegeta wasn't receptive to him. Vegeta was _always _receptive to him, no matter what he was doing, and Trunks felt his stomach drop in anxiety.

Just as he was about to yell for his father, a body appeared in front of him out of nowhere, and Trunks ran right into it. The teenager's ki immediately skyrocketed and he swung out without hesitation, ready to take out whoever was in his way. His blue eyes widened in shock though when his fist was easily caught.

"Easy, Trunks!"

"Goku?" Trunks yelled out. The word was barely out of his mouth when suddenly, he was in daylight. The teenager immediately fell down, landing sitting down on concrete as he coughed hoarsely.

"Trunks!"

He looked over as Bulma rushed to him, her arms wrapping tightly around him as she fell to her knees next to him. Trunks was breathing heavily, looking around in confusion. Goku had teleported them to a secluded area of the hospital parking lot. The hospital was surrounded by a slew of police and firemen. They were all trying to get inside the building, but no one was able to, much to everyone's utter confusion and frustration. The entire building was on fire, and even from where he was, Trunks could hear the screaming.

"I'm alright," he told his mother as she checked him over. He looked at Goku in alarm, "Dad! My dad, he needs help-"

Goku was gone before he was done with the word.

"Oh, God," Bulma weakly said, watching the scene in horror. She looked back at her son, and forced him to look at her. "Trunks, you're sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"I…I don't know…something was keeping us trapped in there," Trunks said, unable to keep his bewilderment out of his voice. He looked around, before asking, "Where's my sister?"

"She's with Chi-Chi. She was very upset, but I calmed her down. We were going to come back for you guys when Chi-Chi turned on the news, and then…" her voice trailed off. How could she describe the horrible feeling that had come over her upon seeing that the hospital where her husband and son were was completely on fire?

A few seconds later, and everyone surrounding the hospital let out a collective gasp of surprise and relief when almost fifty people suddenly appeared out of thin air. Half of them collapsed from the smoke inhalation, while the other half looked bewildered to be standing out in the daylight now. As the authorities rushed to help them, the full-blooded Saiyan responsible for their rescue disappeared out of sight again.

As soon as he did, the building collapsed.

Goku appeared a heartbeat later next to Trunks and Bulma on his knees. He had one hand on Vegeta's chest, the prince sprawled out in front of him on the ground. Trunks and Bulma were both instantly on either side of him as Goku stood up, looking down at the distraught family with a worried look on his face.

"Vegeta?" Bulma asked worriedly, gently touching her husband's face which had burns on the side of it. He barely managed to open one eye, focusing on her with considerable effort for a few seconds before closing his eye again, only vaguely aware that he wasn't inside the hospital anymore. He was having extraordinary difficulty breathing as he struggled to stay conscious. Unable to speak, he weakly reached out mentally to his son, who cursed under his breath.

"He can't move," Trunks said with a scowl. He looked up at Goku, "Do you have any Senzu beans?"

The Saiyan shook his head, kneeling down next to his friends. "No. But it's okay. Let's take him to see Dende. He'll help him."

Everyone put a hand on Vegeta, and then their surroundings suddenly changed to the Lookout. The prince groaned weakly, disoriented from the teleportation. Trunks patted him on the shoulder in comfort as Bulma soothingly ran a hand through his hair. Goku stood up, glancing around until his gaze settled on Dende and Piccolo. The two Namekians had been in the middle of a conversation as they stood on the edge of the Lookout, before looking over in surprise at the sudden arrivals behind them.

"See? I told you something was wrong," Piccolo growled. Dende frowned as he turned to face the newcomers.

"What happened?" he asked, looking over how haggard the Briefs family looked.

"Vegeta's hurt. He needs help," Goku told him. "Please, Dende, help him."

The young Namekian nodded, kneeling down next to the now unconscious prince. Bulma and Trunks both pulled back, the former more reluctantly. She watched in concern as Trunks came to stand behind her.

"He'll be good, Mom, don't worry," he said, his voice hoarse.

Bulma glanced at him and offered him a smile, before looking back as a soft yellow glow surrounded her husband while Dende's hands hovered over him. The burns on Vegeta's face slowly vanished, before his brow furrowed. A couple of seconds later, and his eyes fluttered open, before they focused. The light left him and he sat up, with Bulma immediately hugging him as soon as he did.

"What…?" Vegeta started in confusion. The last thing he remembered with clarity was staring at some strange enemies hidden by the smoke inside of the hospital. He looked around, saw where he was, and saw five pairs of eyes settled right on him.

"What, indeed," Piccolo remarked. "Mind telling us what's going on?"

Vegeta scowled at him, before looking at his wife when she put her hands on his face. "I'm fine, woman," he told her, taking her hands off him. She sighed as he scanned over the Lookout. "Where's Bra?"

"I left her with Chi-Chi. We'll take care of that new problem when we get home," she assured him.

Vegeta made eye contact with her for a few seconds, before nodding and getting up to his feet. His hands also healed, he brushed off the bandages, and then tested his ki. Now it was effortless. He frowned in confusion, before looking over at Goku.

"You showed up?"

"Yeah. I got you and Trunks out of there."

"Hn. Typical," Vegeta snorted.

"What the heck happened?" Goku pressed. Vegeta shrugged and looked away. How could he answer? He had no idea.

Trunks spoke up, "We were trapped in the hospital. My dad and I both tried to break our way out, but we couldn't manage it."

Goku nodded, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Yeah, that was weird. I tried using my strength to break a way out for people to escape, but nothing was working for me either. I teleported as many people as I could out."

"Dende has sensed something strange on Earth over the last month or so," Piccolo said, crossing his arms over his chest and getting everyone's attention. He looked pointedly at the younger Namekian, "Tell them, kid."

"Well, I can't explain it," Dende said, gripping his staff a little harder. "It's a dark, alien aura that seems to be getting stronger as the days pass."

"Alien?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow. A chill went down his spine as he suddenly remembered being assaulted by the Code V ward.

"Yes, but whenever I try to focus on it, I can't. It's a strange energy that comes and goes. I can't tell where it's coming from."

No one caught the subtle look exchanged between Bulma and Vegeta as Goku asked, "Is it evil?"

"I can't tell."

"But if what you all say is true, then there must have been something else going on for none of you to be able to blast your way out of a hospital," Piccolo reasoned. "It might be the aura Dende has sensed."

"Lately, there have been weird things happening around us," Bulma relented. Vegeta gave her a disapproving look for voicing their personal affairs, but she ignored him. If her family was at risk, then that was more important than her husband's pride. "It's like we're not alone at home."

"Yeah, and I was jumped last night, by something that didn't seem human," Trunks added.

"Maybe we can lure whatever this is out into the open," Goku suggested. "Then we can see what we're dealing with."

"Brilliant idea, Kakarot," Vegeta sneered. "And how should we lure this thing out when we don't even know who or what it is?"

"Huh. Good question," Goku said, tilting his head as he tried to think about it.

"Listen. When I was in the hospital, I ran into some patients who had contacted that Code V ailment," Vegeta started slowly, frowning as he remembered it. "One of them said that someone was drawing strength to fight through that ailment. I wasn't sure what he meant."

"Did you ask him to clarify?" Piccolo asked.

"I would have, if I wasn't assaulted by all of them at the same time, since they seemed to believe that somehow this whole damn thing is my fault. As if I had anything to do with their illness."

"What? They jumped you?" Goku asked in surprise. "How did you get them to stop?"

"How do you think?" Vegeta snapped. No one said anything to that, and so he felt compelled to add, "I didn't want to harm them, but I literally had no choice. They seemed convinced that they would be healed if they killed me. Whoever this is gaining strength, might be this dark alien aura Dende has sensed. But then, losing mental capabilities is a symptom of the ailment, so it's hard to tell."

"Yeah," Goku relented. He didn't approve of Vegeta resorting to his usual brand of violence, but if the prince asserted it was only in self-defense, then he would give him the benefit of the doubt. "What do you think we should do?"

"Keep an eye out. Try to figure this thing out. What else can we do?" Vegeta grumbled.

"Piccolo and I can pay more attention up here and see how things change," Dende suggested.

"Do you want Bra to stay with us?" Goku asked Bulma, when Vegeta immediately spun towards him.

"I am FULLY CAPABLE of taking care of my OWN FAMILY, Kakarot!" the prince furiously screamed, making Goku take a step back and raise his hands up defensively. Bulma came up next to Vegeta, putting her hand on his back and rubbing his arm soothingly to calm him down.

"It was just a suggestion. Just trying to help any way I can, that's all," Goku responded patiently.

"Well, if you two are done with your mindless bickering, we can get back to focusing on the real problem here. If something else happens, let's raise our power levels to let the others know. Just in case," Piccolo said, turning around to give everyone his back as his cape flickered behind him.

Everyone agreed to the plan, before dispersing. Soon, Dende was alone on the Lookout as Piccolo left to seek out Gohan. The young Namekian peered over the edge of the Lookout, sighing deeply.

"Good luck," he quietly said.

* * *

Vegeta might have been healed, but he felt an inner exhaustion that he hadn't felt in years as he stared at his five-year-old daughter later that night. Bulma nudged the little girl towards him. Bra's eyes were red from her crying. She was staring at Vegeta's knees, unwilling to look him in the eye. She was still clearly afraid of him, and it hurt him beyond words.

"Baby, remember what I told you?" Bulma gently prodded. "It was only a nightmare. Daddy is still Daddy and he loves you so much. You're hurting his feelings right now."

The little girl was expecting an immediate rebuttal from her father accompanied with a trademark snort of disgust. But when Vegeta remained uncharacteristically silent, Bra ventured a peek up at him. He was staring almost helplessly at her, not knowing how to bridge the gap between them. Without being in hysterics, Bra finally realized that she had never seen her father without his usual strong and cocky demeanor. Seeing the way he was looking at her now, made her feel bad. She didn't want to hurt him.

She meekly asked, "You wouldn't ever kill anyone, right, Daddy?"

Vegeta's eye twitched at the question. He had killed that very day. He swallowed heavily, torn between lying to his daughter and taking her peace offering, or telling her the truth. He looked up at his wife, who gave him a nod of encouragement. Her message was clear: their daughter was simply too young and not ready for the truth yet.

He slowly squatted down with a sigh. "No. I wouldn't," he lied, his mouth feeling like it was filled with sand.

"And you wouldn't ever hurt us, right?"

"Never, princess."

Bra hesitated for only a second, before shooting herself into his arms. Vegeta immediately hugged her back, dropping to his knees when he did.

Bulma smiled, before leaving them alone. She looked for her son, and found Trunks lounging in front of the TV downstairs. The teenager was staring blankly at the TV, watching news coverage on what happened at the hospital. He looked over at his mother as she took a seat next to him.

"How you doing?" she asked, patting him on the knee.

"I'm alright. Gonna go back to school in the morning," Trunks said, looking back at the TV.

"You can take a couple days off if you feel you need to."

"Nah. I need something to do, or I'll go nuts." He frowned as he watched the news coverage. "That was insane what happened today."

"Yeah, you're telling me. It's been an insane week."

"Hn."

"Trunks, about the drinking at school. I'm not going to tell you to cut it cold, because heaven knows you won't listen if I do. But you need to be smart. No more getting drunk. You understand?"

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm not going to be drinking at all anytime soon," Trunks grumbled.

"Good, even better," Bulma said with a small smile. She stood up and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"_Mom_," he groaned in disgust, swatting her hand away.

"Just like your father," Bulma chided jokingly. The teenager rolled his eyes, before pulling out his cell phone to see that he had a text from Goten. All at once, he forgot she was there as he started texting away.

Bulma was relieved. Things seemed to finally be settling down. Maybe the worst was behind them now, and life could go back to normal.

If only she knew.


	6. Lost warning

Bulma Briefs' greatest asset in her life was perseverance. When presented with a technical problem, if she didn't get it right away, then she analyzed, brainstormed, took notes, did research, and then did everything all over again. It didn't matter how many hours of sleep she lost; she never gave up until she figured out a solution. Coupled with her natural genius, there was nothing she couldn't figure out. Hell, Bulma even carried over the same mentality to her personal life; after all, one needed years of unyielding perseverance in order to tame a Saiyan prince.

Sometimes though, she couldn't help but wonder if that same relentless perseverance was a flaw as much as an asset. This was one of those times.

It was past five in the morning, a few weeks after the fiasco at the hospital, and Bulma was still wide awake. She was sitting up in bed, glasses perched low on her nose, her laptop on her lap. Bra was in her own bedroom, though they had a sound _and _video monitor set up there, just in case. The small monitor was on the nightstand next to Bulma and Vegeta's bed, providing the main light in the room.

The light from Bulma's laptop was dimmed all the way down so she wouldn't disturb her husband. But Vegeta was on his side with his back to her, sound asleep from his sleeping medication. One look at him, and she was inclined to close her laptop, put her glasses away, and lean up against him to get a few hours of sleep herself.

But there was a problem to be solved, and she _needed_ to solve it. It had been gnawing at her for days now, and she couldn't ignore it anymore:

She had to find out where she heard about Kegan Xhao.

Bulma had spent all night digging up whatever information she could find. There wasn't much in the news, but then she stumbled on an intriguing forum started by students at West City College. She read over the rumors and the theories the students were tossing around, but it was all mostly a joke to them. Frustrated, she was about to call it a night, when an idea came to her. It was a stretch, but perhaps it was worth a shot.

She logged into a remote database that had all the records of every current and past employee of Capsule Corp, from the board of directors down to the summer interns. It took a painfully long time to dig through everything, and after a while, Bulma felt like her eyes were bleeding. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for–

-until she found it.

Bulma blinked a few times at her laptop screen. She adjusted her glasses to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She double-checked, and triple-checked the date as a chill went down her spine. Reaching over, she shook her husband's bare shoulder.

"Vegeta, hon, wake up."

"Hn?" he grunted, slowly rolling onto his back.

"I want you to look at this."

"Uh huh," Vegeta softly responded, before falling right back into his light snoring. He hadn't even opened his eyes.

Bulma sighed, muttered something about drugged Saiyans, and then sent the file to print. She closed her laptop and got up out of bed. There was a connection here, somewhere, somehow, between this girl who had passed away and her family.

And she was going to find out just what that connection was, no matter what.

A couple hours later, the sunshine was pouring into the master bedroom. Vegeta was alone in the bed, sprawled out on his stomach with his mouth hanging open as he slumbered away. But a certain someone had other ideas.

The prince grunted in surprise, jarred out of his sleep when he felt a weight abruptly land on his back.

"Wake up, Daddy!"

Vegeta groaned, cracking his eyes open to peek at the time. 7:28am. He closed his eyes and grumbled, "You're just like your mother. Never letting a man sleep."

"But the sun is up," Bra whined, sitting cross-legged on her father's back as she pouted. "Mommy already made breakfast! Aren't you going to come eat breakfast, Daddy?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not."

"Well, _I_ think you're just being difficult," Bra said in her best Bulma imitation. After all, she heard her mother say that line at least once a day to her father.

Vegeta blinked in surprise. The girl had done a damn good impression of his wife. He slowly pushed himself up on his forearms, looking over his shoulder at his daughter who was giggling as she rose with his back.

"Don't talk to me like that, brat," he growled in warning.

"I'm not a brat!"

"Hn. Could have fooled me. Now get off my back."

Bra pouted at him, but did as she was told, getting off his back and crawling over the bed. "Are you going to come down for breakfast?" she persisted.

Vegeta propped himself up on one arm as he faced her, running a hand over his face to wake up. Finally, he nodded, and was rewarded with a bright smile from his daughter.

"Yay! Grandma and Grandpa are here, so we can all have a family breakfast together!" Bra yelled in excitement.

She then jumped off the bed and ran out of her parents' room, completely missing the look of disgust on her father's face. It wasn't that Vegeta terribly minded his in-laws; he had certainly gotten used to them over the last twenty years. He just hated not knowing ahead of time that they were coming over. The prince frowned as he slowly got out of bed, shaking his head to rid the lingering drowsiness, before deciding a quick shower would do the trick.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Bunny was gushing, "Your father and I wanted to take Bra to the zoo today! Oh, it will be so much fun!"

"That's a fun idea, I think Bra would like that," Bulma agreed as she covered Vegeta's plate so it would stay hot, right as Bra and Dr. Briefs walked in.

"Mommy, Grandpa says we're going to the zoo!" Bra said with a bright grin.

"That's great, sweetie. Did you wake up Daddy?"

"Yup, he's coming down."

"Good," Bulma said, picking up her mug of coffee as her Bra sat down next to her grandmother. Right as Dr. Briefs was about to sit down, Bulma slid over and whispered to him, "Dad, I need to talk to you in private for a minute."

"Oh, well of course, dear," Dr. Briefs said in his polite drawl, slowly following his daughter out of the kitchen as they stepped outside. "What is it? Does this have to do with your phone call this morning?"

"Yeah, but I wanted you to come over so you could see this for yourself," Bulma told him, reaching in the back of her dress pants and pulling out the printed paper from earlier that day. She unfolded it as best she could while holding her mug of coffee, and then handed the paper to her father.

Dr. Briefs pushed up his thick glasses as he took the paper from Bulma, holding it at arm's length. He studied the paper in question, and then his eyebrows knit together as his eyes focused.

"What is this, Bulma?" he asked, his tone more serious than Bulma had heard in a long time.

"That's what I want to know," Bulma said, coming over so she was standing next to her father. "This man, Tyler Xhao, worked here about twenty years ago, for a grand total of one week. It says that you fired him for personal reasons."

"Yes, I did. There is nothing more to say," Dr. Briefs said, handing Bulma back the piece of paper. He went to go back inside when Bulma stepped over in front of him.

"Dad," Bulma sternly said, and like every man that knew her, Dr. Briefs inwardly cringed at that look in her eyes. "You hired him, and you fired him a week later. And from the research I've done, this man's daughter, Kegan-"

"-Died a couple years after I fired him. Yes, I remember I had an intern who was classmates with the girl," Dr. Briefs sighed, scratching behind his ear a bit.

Bulma frowned a bit, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"The girl passed right around the time that you gave birth to Trunks, dear. You were happy. I wasn't going to ruin that with such terrible news, and it wasn't as though you knew the Xhao girl. And by the time you came back to work, I had already forgotten about the whole thing."

Bulma looked down, studying the profile she had printed out. But her father suddenly took the paper out of her hand, and before Bulma could say anything, Dr. Briefs crumpled it up.

"Dad! What are you doing?"

"Bulma, I don't know what you're trying to dig up, but I want you to stop right now."

"I'll decide when I stop," Bulma shot back, snatching the crumpled paper from her father's hand. "There is something going on with this weird Xhao family, Dad, and I don't know what it is, but I'm going to figure this out. Now are you going to help me or not?"

"Daughter, this was almost twenty years ago-"

"Look. I want to know what _you _know. Who was this Tyler Xhao, and why did you fire him?"

The brilliant old scientist tugged on his moustache a bit, before glancing up at the domed building that was once his home, the one he had happily given to his daughter as a wedding gift. His eyes settled on the room she shared with Vegeta, before he sighed.

"How good is my son-in-law's hearing?"

"The best, but only when he's focusing on it."

"Let's go down to the labs then. We can talk there."

"Alright."

Fortunately, Vegeta was still showering, and so Bulma and Dr. Briefs walked on downstairs without raising the prince's suspicion. It took a while for Dr. Briefs to walk the distance, but Bulma kept at his pace. They got sidetracked a couple of times with some employees, but soon they were entering Bulma's personal office. Bulma closed and locked the door behind her, before turning to her father. The old man slowly sat down at his daughter's desk, sighing in relief when he did.

"I don't remember that walk being so long," he chuckled.

Bulma smiled a little, but it was strained. "Tyler Xhao?" she prompted as her father dug out a box of cigarettes from his shirt pocket.

"Tyler Xhao…" Dr. Briefs repeated in a slow drawl, shaking his head. He pulled out a cigarette as Bulma leaned back against the door. "Well, the interview went well enough. He was bright. Innovative. I saw great potential."

"What happened?"

Dr. Briefs lit his cigarette and took a slow draw, reminiscing as he did. Finally, he exhaled and looked up at his daughter.

"The man was obsessed with you, Bulma."

Bulma blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You were on Namek when I hired him. At first, I thought it was just admiration. But after a couple of days, it was obviously some kind of obsession. I came into your office one day to leave you some work I couldn't figure out, and I caught Mr. Xhao here in your office. He said he was looking for you, but he was snooping. I gave him a warning, but I wound up firing him a few days later."

"Why?"

"We did a random search of the Electronics Division, where he worked. And someone skimmed over his desk, and found nothing but notes about you. Dates and facts about you…personal things…I didn't like it. _Everything_ he wrote down was about you. He was digging for information about you, beyond superficial things you can find online. That was the only reason he even took the job. He was infatuated. So I confronted him.

"That man went off into the crazy pool at that point. He started going on and on about how he had to warn you, because if he didn't, you were going to willingly invite darkness to the Earth and bring about the death of many, including yours, and any children you would have…at that point, I fired him and called for security, because he was clearly off his rocker. You came back to Earth not too long after that, bringing the surviving Namekians with you."

"And Vegeta," Bulma whispered, remembering those days before he left for space to look for Goku, when they had barely been acquaintances.

"And Vegeta," her father confirmed, raising his cigarette again to take another draw.

Bulma was gripping the mug handle tightly in her hand. So tightly that it hurt. _That_ was where she heard the name. The security guards had cracked jokes for a couple weeks over Xhao upon her return from Namek. She had overheard, and had always meant to ask who they were talking about, but she always forgot and the talk eventually died.

"There was another incident, when you were pregnant and the boy had left to train in space," Dr. Briefs continued, drawing Bulma's attention again. "It seemed the man's wife tried sneaking in as a maid, to talk to you. One of the real maids told your mother, who told me, and we had her thrown out immediately. She again started the crazy rants, same as Tyler had – that you had to be warned about the darkness. I don't know, but we warned her that we would press charges if anyone from her family ever came on our property again.

"But that was the last we heard of the Xhao family. Then a few weeks later, you gave birth to Trunks, and a few days after that, we heard the unfortunate news of the Kegan girl. And that's all I know."

"Oh, wow," Bulma quietly said, her mind racing to digest all this new information. "They wanted to warn me…?"

"So they said, but they were crazy, dear. I wouldn't give them much thought. I fired Tyler Xhao for a reason, and they haven't interfered with our lives in almost twenty years."

Bulma opened her mouth to immediately counter with what had gone down with Trunks, but caught herself at the last moment. Her father was elderly now, and so they had just told him the teenager had caught a nasty bug, and that was the reason for his much-publicized hospital visit. She gave him a kind smile as he slowly stood and stretched.

"You're right. It doesn't matter."

"Exactly. Plus, it's such a nice day, too nice for such dreary thoughts. Come to the zoo with us, daughter."

She shook her head, "I have to catch up with work, Dad. I'm not retired just yet, you know."

"True. Well, alright," Dr. Briefs said as he came over to her. "Maybe Vegeta will come along?"

Bulma laughed out loud. Her husband might have changed over the years, but there was still an art to making the prince do things like going to the zoo. An art that her parents weren't talented in. "No, I'm sure he'll just train the day away."

"I'm sure he will," Dr. Briefs chuckled as he made his way out of his daughter's office.

Bulma walked over and took a seat at her desk when he did. She smoothed out the printed paper that was crumpled up. There was a small portrait in the upper left hand corner in black and white, a little copy of the picture that had been Tyler Xhao's ID. She bit her bottom lip, looking at the man's picture for a long time. They had wanted to tell her something, but what?

Well – there was only one way to find out.

* * *

Vegeta scowled as he scanned over that same sheet of paper hours later, after Bulma's parents left with Bra. He was standing in the doorway to the gravity chamber, in his usual spandex exercise shorts and sneakers. He had barely managed to work up a sweat when Bulma interrupted him with what sounded to him like conspiracy theories. He examined the information in front of him one more time, and then looked up at his wife, who was staring at him with her hands on her hips.

"You really think this fool might actually know something?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"Well, would it hurt to find out what he wanted to tell me?"

"Do you even know if he's still alive?"

Bulma sighed. "No, I haven't looked that much into him. I just wanted to see what you thought."

"I think things have gone back to normal, woman."

"Really, Vegeta? Because Bra is still convinced there are strange people in her room."

"We have the video and audio monitor. You see for yourself that nothing has happened over the last several weeks. Clearly, anything at this point is just pure imagination on the child's part."

"But what about Kegan Xhao? She died the day Trunks was born! Something's not adding up here. I know it. I feel it. I just can't explain it," Bulma said, unable to keep her frustration out of her voice.

"And speaking to an ex-employee from twenty years ago will calm your doubts?" Vegeta snorted, handing her the sheet of paper back. Bulma looked at him in exasperation as she took the paper and folded it up. She tucked it in her back pocket, and reached for his hands.

"Will you please just come with me, Vegeta? For my peace of mind?" she asked him, stepping up closer to him. Vegeta stayed still as she kissed his jawline, before whispering in his ear, "Please, sweetheart?"

"Hn," he grunted, looking as indifferent to her proximity as ever. As far as he was concerned, it seemed that the threat had passed them by. He was even starting to wonder if he had truly seen everything he remembered in the hospital a few weeks ago. His freak injury with the lights made him question things.

But it was clearly still on his woman's mind. And so Vegeta gave his real answer, by gently squeezing her hands back. If accompanying her on a wild goose chase was what she needed to feel at ease, then he could do that for her.

Bulma smiled, already knowing that he was giving in to her request. She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. I love you, Vegeta."

"I know," Vegeta blandly replied, rolling his eyes a little as he pulled his hands free and sighed. "Get the coordinates to his location and we'll get this over with."

"I have to go to headquarters to access the full database with addresses that far back. I'll call you when I'm there, and then you can come over and we'll go meet up with this guy."

Vegeta gave a curt nod, and was rewarded by his wife's brilliant smile. She leaned forward and kissed him, bringing her hands up to his face while he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her flush against him. He turned her and pinned her against the frame of the entrance to the gravity room while she deepened their kiss, wrapping one leg around one of his.

It probably would have gone much further than it did, had they not been interrupted by a disgusted voice saying, "When are you two going to stop doing that already? Seriously, you guys are getting old."

Bulma was breathless as Vegeta pulled away from her, turning to glare at their son. "Watch it, boy. You're old enough that I don't care what you see or don't see."

Trunks' face crinkled in disgust as Bulma laughed. "Don't be such a jerk," she told her husband, pushing him away from her, before looking over at the teenager standing on the lawn. Trunks looked worse for wear; he was unnaturally pale and looked downright haggard. Bulma's features melted into concern. "Is everything okay, Trunks? You didn't tell me you were stopping by this weekend. Are you sick?"

"Nah. Just been hitting the books hard, and thought I'd take a break and come visit you guys and Bra since it's Saturday and all," Trunks lied. He caught Vegeta's harsh glare and he instantly added, "And uh, well, I kinda wanted to talk to Dad about something, if that's alright."

Bulma and Vegeta exchanged a look. The prince motioned with his chin for her to leave. "I'll handle him. You go and find out what you need to find out, then let me know. I'll meet you at headquarters."

Bulma nodded, walking back down the ramp towards her son. Vegeta turned away while they exchanged a few words, going back inside the gravity room. After a few minutes, he felt Bulma leave. Not too long after that, Trunks slowly walked up the ramp, coming to stand in the doorway. Vegeta turned back to face him, but the boy was looking down, a look of worry on his face. The prince scanned his son over; something was wrong with him. If he couldn't tell by sight alone, he would have felt it in his ki.

"Well? Out with it. You came to talk, so talk," Vegeta impatiently demanded, leaning back against the control panel as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Trunks looked back up at his father. "Ever since that day at the hospital…something's been wrong with my ki."

"What?"

"I was hanging out with Goten couple nights ago, and we got into a brawl just for the hell of it. He went super and nailed me pretty good. But I couldn't bring up my ki high enough to ascend too. I made up a bullshit reason to back out of it…but when I went back to my dorm room, I tried again, but I couldn't transform. I…I don't know what's wrong, Dad," Trunks admitted, a mix of frustration and anger on his face. "Has anything been different for you since that day?"

"No," came the blunt answer. Trunks' shoulders sagged a bit at the response as Vegeta ordered, "Come here, boy."

Trunks walked over to stand in front of his father. Vegeta grabbed his son's chin and pulled the teenager down, evening their height difference as he examined his eyes thoroughly. Trunks normally had bright blue eyes, just like his mother and his sister. But now they were dark; there was a hint of red in the irises. Blood red. Vegeta frowned in concern, forcing Trunks' head to the side to examine the brand which was still on his neck.

"This hasn't healed yet?" Vegeta asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice as he looked at the familiar burn. He leaned in closer, and saw that it had actually grown worse.

"No, but the doctors said it would take a while," Trunks awkwardly answered, his father's unbreakable grip making it hard to speak.

"For a human. But your Saiyan genes should have healed this already," the prince remarked, deep down hoping it wouldn't scar permanently. "Is it just your power that's off?"

"No…" Trunks awkwardly shifted his weight.

Vegeta released him. "What else then?" he gruffly demanded, crossing his arms again.

Trunks hesitated, suddenly feeling like he was a little boy again as he wondered whether or not to tell his father the truth. How crazy would he sound if he did? He reached up and nervously brushed the hair out of his face, before stealing a glance at Vegeta, who was staring hard at him as he impatiently waited.

"Well…I've uh, kinda been seeing and hearing things…"

"What kind of things?"

Trunks relaxed a little bit when he wasn't called insane outright. "It feels like someone is in my dorm room with me at night. I hear people talking…sometimes, I see shadows moving…but then I turn on the lights and nothing is there."

"Hallucinations," Vegeta said, his eyes narrowing angrily. "Are you using drugs?"

"No."

"No medications of any kind?"

"Nothing."

"What about drinking?"

"Not since everything went down a few weeks ago."

"Why were you fighting with Goten then?"

"Ah, it's just a stupid thing we do. Talk trash, fight a little. Keeps us at least a little sharp."

Vegeta was going to respond when the door to the gravity chamber suddenly slid closed. They both looked over in surprise as the lock system engaged and the lights dimmed to their red hue.

_"Initiating gravity simulation…100 times Earth's normal gravity…"_

"What the hell?" Vegeta asked, spinning around and staring down at the control panel in confusion. "I must have activated it by mistake…"

Trunks was meanwhile at the door, trying to force it open. It wouldn't budge. He looked over his shoulder, "I can't disengage this lock. You have to disengage it from the control panel."

The force of the simulator suddenly kicked in, and while Vegeta didn't flinch, Trunks' knees almost buckled. He grabbed onto the lock of the door tightly, using it to keep himself upright. It had been a while since he had trained in this room with his father, and he sorely regretted that now.

"It should already be disengaged," Vegeta said, looking over his shoulder at Trunks. He cursed when he saw that his son was barely able to stand. Turning back towards the control panel, he tried turning the gravity simulator off. He flipped the right switch, but instead of the forces alleviating, the mechanical voice sounded again:

_"Incrementing gravity simulation…now at 150 times Earth's normal gravity…"_

"Shit," Vegeta cursed. He backed up and raised his hand out, quickly gathering up his ki into a powerful blue ball in front of his palm. Wasting no time, the prince fired, and there was an explosion of smoke and metal. Vegeta raised his hand to protect his eyes, but to his shock, the machine sounded again:

_"Incrementing gravity simulation…now at 300 times Earth's normal gravity…"_

The forces bore down on them, and this time Trunks' legs gave out as he collapsed, crying out in pain. Without repeated exposure to such high gravity, and especially without his Super Saiyan transformation, the pressure was completely unbearable. He barely noticed Vegeta stepping over him as the elder prince tried forcing the door open with his bare hands.

Vegeta was shouting curses as he slammed his fist and kicked the door as hard as he could. His leg and his hand was hurting like hell, but there was desperation creeping in at this point. Trunks couldn't handle the high gravity incrementing at this rate, not without his usual ki. Vegeta moved quickly, trying once again to stop the gravity simulator. The control panel was destroyed, but he knew that Bulma had put in an external power generator that was keeping everything engaged. But he had no way of getting to it. It had been years since a malfunction like this, and even still, he should have been able to blast his way out.

The prince was covered in sweat, his knuckles raw and bloodied from his futile attempts to break through as his heart pounded hard in his chest. His damned claustrophobia was crawling to the surface as he glanced at Trunks, who was struggling valiantly to get to his hands and knees.

_Think, think, think, _Vegeta silently urged himself. As if on cue, he suddenly thought of Goku. Yes! That was it – if he raised his power, he would draw the attention of his old rival. The younger Saiyan could arrive and teleport them out.

_"Incrementing gravity simulation…now at 450 times Earth's normal gravity…"_

Trunks fell face-down and screamed in pain, but as soon as he thought he was going to get crushed to death, he felt new strength running through his blood. It took a moment to realize that the golden light next to him was his father. Vegeta was kneeling next to him, his hands on his back as he transferred him some of his own ki.

"Trunks, listen to me. You have to focus on your ki," Vegeta told his son urgently. "The only way out is if we draw Kakarot's attention. I need all my power to do that, so I can't do this for long. You have to concentrate, you hear me?"

"Okay," Trunks shakily said as Vegeta easily hauled him up to his feet.

"Your own ki is still there. I can feel it. Just focus on it," Vegeta ordered through grit teeth, his glowing hands on Trunks' shoulders. While 450 times Earth's gravity was definitely manageable for the Saiyan prince, sharing enough energy so his son wouldn't get crushed while retaining enough for himself was rapidly draining him.

_"Incrementing gravity simulation…now at 600 times Earth's normal gravity…"_

_Oh shit, _Trunks thought drearily. "Dad, I can't-"

"Yes, you CAN, now FOCUS, goddamnit!" Vegeta yelled almost in Trunks' face. Trunks nodded, closing his eyes. He reached up and grabbed Vegeta's arms to brace himself as he forced himself to power up.

There was a burst of wind that suddenly surrounded father and son as Trunks' ki rapidly climbed, aided by Vegeta continuing to transfer his own ki. With his father's help, Trunks finally tapped into his power for the first time in weeks. Like an exhausted runner with the end of a marathon in sight, Trunks forced his ki to rapidly skyrocket the last amount necessary to reach his Super Saiyan transformation as his hair finally flashed gold and his eyes teal.

Right as the golden light exploded around Trunks, the forces lifted as the simulator died. The red lights turned off, but Trunks' scream of agony echoed off the walls.

Vegeta fell down hard from the force of Trunks' transformation. The prince sat up, staring wide-eyed at his son as Trunks staggered backwards. The teenager's ki was now skyrocketing out of control, and his usual golden aura was a sick red color that made Trunks look like he was being burned alive. Before Vegeta could even think of what to do or what to say, Trunks sank to his knees and screamed again, his hands going up to his head. Vegeta was immediately there, on his knees in front of him as Trunks bent over so his head was on the floor.

"Trunks! What's wrong?" Vegeta asked worriedly, putting a hand on his son's back. The prince immediately withdrew his hand. Trunks' ki was untouchable with red-hot heat. Vegeta grit his teeth, feeling his hands burning as he tried raising his son's head so they could make eye contact. "Come on, Trunks. Focus, get control back," Vegeta ordered, sounding calmer than he felt.

Trunks lowered his hands as his power surged past Super Saiyan 2, his fingers spreading cracks in the floor. Red sparks shot up around him, violently zapping the air and burning his father's skin. Still, Vegeta didn't flinch as he grabbed the sides of his face and tried for eye contact again, not even noticing when Goku suddenly appeared next to him.

"What the heck?" Goku asked, blinking in shock at the sight of Trunks. The teenager was screaming himself hoarse in raw anguish, looking like he was literally on fire as the walls around them shook.

"Look at me, son," Vegeta urged Trunks, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice, ignoring the presence of his fellow Saiyan with them. "You have to get your power under control, right now!"

Real fear shot down the prince's spine when Trunks finally looked up at him. His pupils were fully dilated and blood red. The teenager's aura flared up with red and angry flames that singed Vegeta's hands, forcing the prince to let go. Vegeta fell backwards from the force again, landing sitting down. Goku immediately stepped in, kneeling down behind Trunks and grabbing the teenager by the shoulders. His intention had been to try to leech off some energy that the boy was unleashing, to help him get his power under control.

But as soon as Goku touched him, Trunks' ki dropped to nothing and his aura disappeared. The teenager promptly vomited as Vegeta came up next to him again. The prince shoved Goku away, before putting one arm under his son's chest to support him. Trunks was shaking uncontrollably, drenched in sweat as he continued heaving until he wasn't throwing anything up anymore.

"What happened, Vegeta?" Goku asked again in bewilderment.

"I don't know," came the honest reply. The prince frowned in concern, before gently pulling his son backwards. As soon as he did, Trunks' eyes rolled back and he slumped in his father's arms.

"Trunks!" Vegeta yelled out in alarm. He laid the teenager down on his back and felt his forehead. Trunks was burning up and still shaking. Vegeta was about to make an attempt at rousing the boy, when he caught sight of something that had not been there a few minutes ago. He turned Trunks' head to the side, brushing his hair out of the way to get a better look, before whispering, "Oh no…"

Goku knelt down on the other side of Trunks. He felt the boy's temperature in concern, before looking up at Vegeta, who had visibly paled.

"Vegeta? What's wrong?" Goku asked worriedly. He couldn't remember the last time he saw that look on the prince's face. Outside, thunder rolled, and they could both hear the drops of rain hitting outside of the chamber.

When Vegeta didn't answer him, Goku leaned over to see for himself what his friend was was looking at. His eyes widened in surprise. There, half-obscured but still visible through Trunks' lavender hair, was the burned 'V' right over the boy's temple. It looked fresh like someone had done it to him only moments ago.

"That's the mark of that virus-"

"No, don't you even fucking say it, Kakarot!" Vegeta hissed angrily. He shook his head, "He has Saiyan blood. He's too strong for that shit. It's nothing," he forcefully said, trying to convince himself more than Goku as he reached down to feel Trunks' pulse under his jaw. It was way too fast, and way too weak. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, not even attempting to hide the concern that was quickly overwhelming him.

"I'll take us to the Lookout. Dende can heal him of whatever he has," Goku calmly suggested.

Vegeta didn't even think twice. "Do it," he ordered, putting a hand on his son's chest. Goku did the same, then put two fingers up to his forehead, and they were all gone.

* * *

"That is _so_ weird," Bulma mumbled to herself as she looked out the window of her office at Capsule Corp's headquarters. When she left home, it was bright and sunny outside. It had taken her half an hour to reach headquarters and dig through the database to find the information she needed. In that time, the sky had darkened to the point that Bulma had momentarily panicked, thinking she had wasted all day there. It was dark as night, and there were flashes of lightning in the sky. There were droplets of moisture already beginning to litter her window.

Bulma frowned in confusion at the weather, before turning away as she waited for Vegeta to answer the home phone. She had already tried his cell phone, but that hadn't worked either. Finally, she sighed and hung up.

"So much for that…the jerk, I should've known," she grumbled to herself, thinking Vegeta left and forgot about their plan. Either that, or he changed his mind and didn't feel like joining her anymore. Regardless of his reasons, Bulma wasn't about to let her husband ruin her plans. If he wasn't going to accompany her, then she was simply going to have to investigate things on her own. It was that simple.

Bulma looked up directions to the address that she found online, and then printed them out. It was only a twenty minute drive in her car. Not too bad. She stared down at the address while she sat at her desk.

_The man was obsessed with you, Bulma, _her father had said. Bulma swallowed, a ball of anxiety developing in the pit of her stomach. Reaching underneath her desk, she felt around a bit, until her fingers found steel. A moment later, she pulled out a loaded handgun. After all, genius billionaires needed a backup plan in case a certain Saiyan prince wasn't nearby and all security measures failed. And she certainly wasn't going to face a potential nutcase with only her gorgeous smile backing her up.

Bulma tucked the gun nonchalantly into her purse, walking with a sense of purpose as she exited the building. By the time she stepped outside, it was pouring heavily. She used her purse to shield herself from the rain as best she could, running and splashing her way over to her car.

"Great. I just had to wear these new pants today," Bulma angrily hissed under her breath while she fumbled with her keys next to her car. "If the stupid weatherman had mentioned it was going to rain today-"

Bulma shrieked in fear when she heard footsteps suddenly charging up behind her, a visible silhouette appearing in the glass of driver's window. She spun around, her heart pounding as she fell back against the car, but there was no one there. Bulma looked around frantically, but her car was the only vehicle in the lot. Bulma was clutching her purse tightly to her chest, before cursing quietly.

"Keep it together, girl," she whispered to herself, willing her heartbeat to slow down.

Despite her efforts, Bulma looked like a woman about to be mugged as she rapidly unlocked her car door, with frantic glances over her shoulder every few seconds. Finally, she got into her car, instantly closing and locking the door. She sighed in relief, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Once she regrouped, she started the car and drove off.

After about ten minutes, she had calmed down. She would have made better time in her hover jet, but having lent the vehicle to her parents for the day, she followed her instructions carefully as she drove along an empty highway. When she was about halfway there, she tried to turn on the radio, but there was nothing but white noise on every station.

Bulma took her eyes off the road for one split second to squint through the rain at a passing exit sign. When she looked back, there was a child standing in the middle of the highway with red eyes.

Bulma screamed and immediately swerved the car. She tried regaining control, but the roads were too slippery, and the car spun out, tires screeching. The car suddenly flipped over itself and went airborne, and then Bulma's world went black.


	7. Eye of the storm

Vegeta was furiously pacing back and forth, hovering over Dende as he tried to heal Trunks. Each moment that passed intensified his concern and panic. The talented Namekian had been helping Trunks for a while now, and the boy still hadn't come to. Vegeta clenched his hands into tight fists, increasing his relentless pacing as he tried to consider his options. But if Trunks had indeed come down with Code V, he didn't have many options. He and Goku had used the last Senzu beans after a spar, and they would take weeks to be in season again.

But the virus was as fast as it was fatal. He remembered watching the newscast, and hearing them say that on average, people died between four and seven days after showing the nasty V-shaped rash. And as much as Vegeta tried to rationalize to himself that his son was too strong to die because of a strange virus, he couldn't help but remember that Goku had died in the alternate future timeline from a heart virus.

His stomach churned at the thought of his only son dying. He grit his teeth watching the soft yellow glow around Dende and Trunks, when his patience finally snapped.

"What the fuck, boy? Why haven't you healed my son yet?" Vegeta yelled furiously. He advanced on Dende, but Goku was suddenly right in front of him.

"Be patient, Vegeta," Goku calmly told him. "Dende will help Trunks, he just needs time."

"NEEDS TIME?" Vegeta screamed in his face, pointing down at Dende. "We've been here for almost fifteen fucking minutes! How much more time does he-"

"I am trying," Dende cut in, his voice matter-of-fact. His eyes were closed in concentration. "This ailment is strange. It is resistant; I rid it, and it comes back like a virus almost immediately, and then it takes more of my strength to rid it again. But it keeps coming back. It's not normal. It's like it's being controlled by someone else-"

"I don't care. Heal him," Vegeta ordered, his tone harsh and threatening. He shoved Goku hard in the chest, but the younger Saiyan didn't budge an inch. Vegeta sneered at him, and then resumed his relentless pacing.

Goku watched him in concern, before looking down at Trunks and Dende. He crossed his arms, his expression a mixture of confusion and worry. He had also heard quite a bit about the strange virus from Gohan, but like Vegeta, he hadn't thought a half-Saiyan could come down with it.

Finally, almost ten minutes later, Dende lowered his hands to the marble floor as the light disappeared. The Namekian was exhausted and more than a little concerned when Trunks barely stirred.

"I can't use my healing powers anymore," Dende regretfully informed them as Vegeta came around to kneel down next to Trunks.

"What do you mean?" Goku asked, his brows furrowing as he watched Vegeta check his son. "You've drained them?"

"I don't know. But I can't summon anything more to help, for some reason…that's never happened before-"

"You barely did anything for him!" Vegeta yelled in disbelief. He had one hand on Trunks' forehead, and the other brushing the boy's hair out of the way. Trunks' temperature was even higher than before they brought him to the Lookout, and the V-shaped burn on his temple had only gotten worse. The teenager was still unresponsive. The prince looked up, and Dende shrank back a bit at the fury in his eyes that he hadn't seen Vegeta wear since their days on Namek.

"I did what I could, Vegeta," Dende tried to defend himself. "It's even drained my powers. I gave Trunks everything I had-"

"Yes, _lots_ of good that did," Vegeta snarled. Goku felt the prince's ki bristling with rising rage, and stepped forward to diffuse things.

"Vegeta, Dende tried his best," Goku told him. "Now's not the time to get mad. We have to think about how to help Trunks. Dende can't heal him, and the Senzu beans aren't ready. Do you want me to teleport him to the hospital in East City? They're not done with the reparations to West City Hospital yet, I don't think."

Vegeta reached up to rub his eyes with two fingers, forcing himself to take his personal emotion out of the situation and think rationally. He was debating whether or not the infirmary at Capsule Corp was equipped to handle a potential case of Code V, when his heart suddenly felt like it leapt up to his throat and a crippling anxiety spread through his blood like wildfire. Goku and Dende exchanged a brief look when Vegeta shot up to his feet, the color draining from his face.

The prince spun away from all of them and quickly strode over to the edge of the Lookout. He peered down and tried his hardest to focus on sensing Bulma. Her ki blended with billions, but he could pick her out if he knew where to look. With enormous mental discipline, the prince focused on the Capsule Corp. headquarters building, and then stretched his senses out for miles and miles from there.

He couldn't feel anything.

Vegeta immediately started pacing, his pace frantic as he ran one shaking hand through his hair. If Dende and Goku wouldn't have been there, he didn't know if he would've been able to keep it together. He looked back at Trunks, before raising his eyes to Goku.

"Take him to the hospital, but _don't _leave him, you hear me?" Vegeta finally ordered, the memory of what happened at West City Hospital still fresh in his mind.

"Sure thing, don't worry, I'll take him and stay with him, Vegeta. I promise. But where are _you _going-" Goku started, but Vegeta's golden aura exploded around him and he was gone before he could finish his question.

"What do you think that was about?" Dende asked in bewilderment.

"I don't know," Goku softly answered, looking down at Trunks. "But it can't be good…"

Vegeta's heart was pounding as he flew through what was now an intense thunderstorm. Lightning was cracking, and he bitterly wondered if it would strike him down with how this horrible day was unfolding. When he finally landed in the parking lot of Capsule Corp headquarters, he couldn't stop his jaw from going slack.

The enormous building was completely on fire, with flames that seemed to have a life of their own. It was pouring heavily outside, and he had no idea how the fire was still burning so defiantly in the face of such a thunderstorm. There was a slew of firefighters already there, trying to put out the flames to no avail.

Vegeta did a quick scan of the parking lot, and was relieved when he saw that Bulma's car wasn't there. That meant she wasn't there; but then, where was she? The prince again stretched out his senses, but he couldn't feel anything except more panic. His head, in particular, was starting to hurt. He angrily shook it off and shot into the air again, surveying the roads as he rapidly converted how far she could have gotten at max speed in her car. Since it was raining, there was no way she could've gone that fast, so he could have at least some kind of radius to limit his search. From his elevation, he could see that only two highways were open with this weather. He picked one randomly and flew off in that direction. Vegeta squinted through the rain, his sensitive hearing picking up ambulance sirens and firefighters. He quickened his pace, again stretching out his senses to feel for Bulma.

As soon as he did though, he stopped flying as his hands went to his head. He cried out in pain, his golden hair fading back to black. It felt like knives were digging into his skull, and he couldn't breathe. He cried out again as the pain intensified and became excruciating. He didn't realize he had fallen from the air until his knees hit the concrete highway hard. The prince leaned forward on his hands and knees, remembering this pain all too well from the hospital weeks ago. His fingers were digging into the concrete as he tried getting it under control. He had to _get up!_

Right as he was about to force himself up, there were lights on him. He looked up, barely in time to recognize that a truck was barreling straight towards him. A human wouldn't have had enough time to avoid a brutal death, but Vegeta wasn't human. He half dove, half rolled out of the way, roughly falling off the side of the road on the grass while the truck driver screamed curses out the window at him. Vegeta forced himself up to his hands and knees again, grinding his teeth together, one eye squeezed shut in agony.

When he looked up again, he saw a boy standing in the middle of the highway, right where he had been a moment ago. The prince squinted, trying to get a better view, but it was raining so heavily that he couldn't make out any features on the kid at all. He was nothing but a dark gray silhouette.

"Prince Vegeta," the child ominously spoke. Vegeta raised an eyebrow; the boy's voice sounded like a chorus of children all chanting together. He shook his head rapidly, thinking it must have been in his mind. The boy extended his hand to Vegeta, pointing right at him as he continued, "You will die, but not yet. Your family will die first."

Vegeta growled low in his throat. _No one _threatened his family and lived to tell about it. He forced himself back up to his feet, his pain be damned, and charged right at the kid. The prince flew right at him, but met nothing but air as he crashed back onto the concrete, landing hard on his face. The taste of blood immediately filled the back of his throat. He quickly rolled onto his back, making sure no cars were coming, but the highway was deserted with such bad weather. Vegeta wiped the blood off his face as he looked back towards the middle of the road.

The boy was standing there again, nothing but a shadow in the rain. The prince backed up a little, trying hard to suppress the chills going down his back. He couldn't sense any ki from the boy at all.

"Who the hell are you?" Vegeta finally demanded. He went to stand, but the pain flared in his head and he dropped to his knees again. The prince clenched tight handfuls of his wet hair, trying to stifle the scream of anguish that was building up in his throat.

"Just because you found love and peace, does not mean you _deserve_ love and peace, Prince Vegeta. Actions have consequences, and you must pay for what you've done."

"What…?" the prince rasped, looking back up and squinting through the heavy rain. There was no one there anymore.

Utterly confused now, Vegeta tried to stand, but he quickly fell back down to the concrete. This time, he couldn't help it as he screamed so loud his chest hurt. It felt like his head was literally about to explode, an unbearable piercing pain overwhelming him. He rolled over onto his stomach, squeezing his eyes shut as he held onto the back of his head.

Suddenly, he felt light on him. Turning his head, he squinted and saw another truck barreling down the road towards him. Cursing under his breath, Vegeta tried to get up and dive out of the way again, when it felt like a thousand invisible hands grabbed onto him and forced him back down, holding him in place. Vegeta panicked and tried raising his ki, but it only made the pain in his head increase so badly he felt like he was going to pass out. Completely out of time with the truck only several yards away, Vegeta looked away and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact.

But the impact never came. The prince looked back, only to see that the truck had stopped cold. In between him and the truck was a man in a powerful golden aura, on one knee with one hand against the steel of the truck. Vegeta slowly sat up, brushing the hair out of his face.

"I didn't ask for your help," he grumbled. The pain in his head had vanished as quickly as it came, but it left him feeling slightly dazed. He raised one hand and easily summoned up his ki, much to his confusion.

"I know, but it looked like you could use it," Gohan answered as he stood up, his hair fading back to black. He waved awkwardly to the truck driver, and shouted out, "Sorry!"

"Hero complex, just like your father," Vegeta sneered, getting back up to his feet as fast as he could. He prowled the road, looking in all directions as he tried getting some kind of scent or trace of who he had spoken to. He looked like a mad man to any outsider, which included Gohan.

"Vegeta, are you alright?" Gohan asked worriedly, coming up next to the prince as the truck slowly began driving again. The Saiyan hybrid looked him over in concern. Vegeta was still in his spandex training shorts and gym shoes, and there was a relentless stream of blood running out of his nose, enough to be noticeable even in the heavy rain. Vegeta looked frazzled as his eyes darted around the now deserted road, even though Gohan couldn't see or sense anyone. Gohan's worry increased when Vegeta closed his eyes and raised a hand to his forehead, as though in pain. "Vegeta?" he pressed again.

The prince ignored him, suddenly remembering why he was even over this road in the first place. Cold fear shot through him when he recalled the strange boy threatening his family. _Bulma. _He had to find Bulma.

Without wasting any more time, he immediately powered up, his eyes flashing teal as his hair tinted gold. Just as fast, Gohan appeared right in front of him, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders before Vegeta could take to the air. The prince instantly knocked Gohan's hands off, his eyes furious.

"I don't have time for your bullshit, boy-"

"Vegeta, you have to come with me," Gohan firmly stated. He hesitated a second, before quietly saying, "My dad sent me for you. It's Bulma."

* * *

Vegeta charged through the doors to the hospital in East City, damn near knocking an exiting couple over. Gohan was right on his heels, and he apologized to the angry couple while Vegeta paused. The prince focused, stretching out his senses once again. He immediately placed Goku, and then picked up Trunks. He tried hard to pick up anything for Bulma, and when he couldn't, he frantically spun back towards Gohan.

Gohan had no time to react before Vegeta shoved him hard against the wall, brutally burying his forearm into his throat.

"You said she was here, so where the fuck is she-?"

Almost on cue, Goku appeared out of nowhere. He hardly looked surprised at the scene in front of him, putting a hand on Vegeta's shoulder.

"They're helping Bulma and Trunks right now. I know it's hard, Vegeta, but you have to stay calm, or you'll get kicked out of here and that won't help anyone."

Vegeta slowly took his eyes off the red-faced and choking Gohan, looking at Goku out of the corner of his eye. He finally removed his arm from Gohan's throat, making the hybrid Saiyan double over as he coughed roughly. Vegeta clenched his fists painfully tight, turning around to face his old rival.

"I can't sense her," he bluntly spat out.

"I know, I can't either," Goku gently said, not missing how rough Vegeta looked already. The prince was dripping wet from the rain, his hair was clinging to his face, his face was bruised, and his nose was bleeding so badly, the blood was smearing on his chest. There was even more blood seeping through his fingers from how hard he was clenching his fists. "She's in surgery right now. It was an ugly accident, but she _is _alive, Vegeta. She's not in good shape, but, they did say that everything's going okay so far."

Both Gohan and Goku could see some tension leave Vegeta's shoulders at that, but it wasn't much. The prince cocked his head up towards the ceiling, before demanding, "And Trunks?"

Goku scratched the back of his head, eyeing Vegeta up and down warily. "Why don't we get you some dry clothes first, and maybe get your nose looked at-"

"Kakarot…" Vegeta growled through clenched teeth, his warning clear.

"They diagnosed him with the Code V virus," Goku reluctantly said. "They're trying as hard as they can to see what they can do for him, but…well…there's no cure and it's been fatal up until now…so they said it's best to probably prepare for the worst."

He stopped, and waited for a reaction or a response from Vegeta. When he got nothing back at all, he frowned and added, "Don't worry though. Trunks is half-Saiyan, he'll beat it."

"Plus, we have the Dragon Balls," Gohan piped up from behind Vegeta.

"Except this is a disease. So they won't work," Vegeta said, suddenly sounding exhausted. He knew he should have been feeling more, but it was as though his mind had had all the emotional stress he could handle for one day. The only thing he knew right now was that he needed to sit down.

"Well, we'll try it anyways. We'll figure something out," Goku said, trying to sound as optimistic as he could.

"Vegeta, your hands," Gohan whispered, looking at the prince's clenched fists. His knuckles were badly ripped from trying to get out of the gravity room earlier, and fresh blood was dripping on the floor now.

"I'm fine," Vegeta mechanically responded.

"We also got a hold of Bulma's parents," Goku added. "They're stranded right now with the weather, since the roads are closed for the most part. They're okay, and so is Bra. One of them will be by as soon as they can."

Vegeta's heart sank and his shoulders fell. He had been so concerned with Trunks and Bulma, that he had forgotten about his in-laws and his own daughter. As relieved as he was to hear that, he couldn't help but feel guilty that he hadn't thought of them before Goku brought them up, especially Bra. What kind of a father was he anyways? It was a blow he didn't need, and all he could do was nod numbly in response and walk away.

He didn't know where he was heading, but he wasn't heading there alone because Gohan and Goku were both quickly walking at his side. Vegeta was silent, feeling like he was in a daze as they completely overwhelmed him with information. They told him he needed to be checked out because Code V was contagious. They started giving him details about Bulma's car accident. They started giving him details about her condition. They started asking him if he knew about the fire at headquarters. They informed him that the media was surrounding the hospital and that they wanted a word with him. When they saw the blank way he stared back at them, they offered to have someone take care of it for him.

Vegeta's head was swimming as he suddenly found himself sitting down with a doctor in his face. He blinked, only noticing where he was when the doctor started examining his bloodied nose. Goku and Gohan were still hovering, and resumed firing information at him as soon as the doctor left. Goku informed him that Dende still hadn't regained his healing powers for some strange reason, but that as soon as he did, they could have him help Bulma. Gohan told him that he would follow up with the Senzu beans and let him know when the next crop was ready.

The prince sat in silence, staring at his hands as a nurse came in to bandage his bloodied palms and ripped knuckles. He was reminded of Bulma while she did. His head was starting to hurt again, and the day wasn't even close to being over yet.

Over an hour later, Gohan walked up to Vegeta, who was sitting alone in the waiting room. The prince was dressed now, since Goku had teleported back to Capsule Corp and gotten him some dry clothes. His hair was dry and standing up again, but he still looked disheveled. He was also sporting a strip of a bandage across the bridge of his nose, which was still swollen but not broken. Goku was now speaking to the rest of the gang, who had by now gotten word of what happened. Goten was keeping Trunks company in his hospital room, but Vegeta still had yet to go see his son himself. Bulma was still being treated, and they were still waiting to hear more on how she was doing.

Gohan was trying to keep the look of worry off his face as he sat down next to Vegeta. The prince hadn't said one word, staying silent even when Gohan had subtly steered him towards a doctor who could look him over. By all accounts, it looked like Vegeta had shut down and was running completely on autopilot.

"Here, Vegeta, I got you a hot chocolate," Gohan quietly said, offering Vegeta a white styrofoam cup filled with hot liquid. Vegeta mechanically reached out and took the cup, holding it by the top circled edge with his fingertips. He was staring at the television, like he had been since he sat down, looking like he had no intention of drinking the hot chocolate. Gohan looked towards the TV too, and they both numbly watched the TV for a while.

"Everything will be alright," Gohan finally said, feeling compelled to offer support. Heaven only knew that if Videl and Pan were both hurt at the same time, he would be a complete wreck. Gohan cleared his throat, and suggested, "Maybe going to see Trunks will make you feel better?"

Vegeta didn't answer. It didn't even seem like he was aware that someone was next to him. Gohan sighed, and was about to check his phone to see if he finally had reception, when Vegeta finally spoke.

"This was all planned out," he quietly said, looking down at the cup of hot chocolate in his bandaged hands. He frowned, his eyes clouded. "This has been planned out from the very beginning."

"What?" Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow. "What was all planned out?"

"He must have been a teleporter," Vegeta mused, slowly twirling the cup in his hand. He stopped that immediately when he was reminded of Frieza. He scowled as he continued, "That is the only reason for his speed. But he did something to me. Some kind of mind-controlling powers…?"

"What? Who did something to you?"

"Maybe he was the same one from the fire. Yes, that must be it. But why? How? Who was he? Someone from an old planet? It didn't sound like he was alone, with such a strange voice. But everyone always died. I am sure of it. I _made _sure of it…_didn't I_…?"

"Vegeta, are you alright?" Gohan asked, wondering if maybe his friend was a little more physically hurt than having just a busted nose. He was making no sense and wasn't responsive to him. It didn't help that Vegeta fell silent with his eyes glazed over at that exact moment.

Gohan put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder, and Vegeta finally snapped, dropping the cup of hot chocolate. Gohan quickly had his arm nearly ripped off as he was lifted up and slammed hard against the wall for the second time that day, face-first this time. He winced as Vegeta painfully twisted his arm behind him.

"I will only tell you this once. Keep your fucking hands off me, boy," Vegeta snarled from behind him, quickly drawing the attention of the other warriors.

Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha quickly came up behind him. Goku calmly stepped up behind the prince, "Vegeta, hey, take it easy-"

"DON'T TELL ME TO TAKE IT EASY, KAKAROT!" Vegeta screamed as he furiously spun around, letting Gohan go as he did. They could all feel Vegeta's ki rising at a breakneck pace as he started yelling, "I am NOT a child that needs to be coddled, so ALL of you need to BACK OFF before I blast every last fucking one of you-"

"Excuse me. You are all the family of Mrs. Bulma Briefs?"

Just like that, Vegeta forgot all about his rant as he strode over to the doctor who was addressing them. "How is she?" he demanded.

The doctor swallowed. "Sir, she's-"

Goku and Krillin both grabbed Vegeta when his hand shot out to grab the doctor by the throat. They pulled him back, earning a stream of curses from the irate prince as he furiously struggled against them. He still couldn't feel Bulma, and he was dangerously close to losing it.

"Vegeta, you need to calm down," Goku whispered to him. "You put your hands on one of them, and you're getting kicked out, Bulma's husband or not."

That worked. Vegeta almost immediately stopped fighting against them, though he was still rigid with tension. He visibly reined his emotion in, bottling everything inside and adopting his military-like, unreadable stoic mask with an ease that only came from decades of practice. He took a moment to get a grip on himself, and then nodded. Goku and Krillin both let him go, and they all turned to face the doctor again.

"How is she?" Goku patiently asked.

"Well," the doctor started, eyeing them all warily before looking down at his chart. "Bulma was severely injured. She is lucky to survive such a terrible accident. The next twenty four hours will be very critical-"

"Where is she?" Vegeta interrupted.

"She's in ICU Room 4 on the third floor-"

Vegeta was instantly gone, much to the doctor's shock. Everyone started to follow when Gohan stepped forward, blocking their path.

"Let's let him have some time with her alone. I think that would be the most helpful thing for him. Then we can see her."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Krillin relented. "Man, this is all rough, all of this going down at the same time. What a bad break for Vegeta."

Goku crossed his arms, glancing up towards the ceiling as he tracked Vegeta's energy. "Yeah," he quietly agreed. "I know…"

Meanwhile, Vegeta was sitting down in Bulma's hospital room in numbed silence. This entire scene was wrong to him. It was so unbelievably wrong. _He _was always the one who got hurt in this relationship, not her. He was the one who made full use of the Capsule Corp infirmary, making some kind of visit at least once a month for a sprain, fracture, break, whatever the case was. With the exception of her pregnancies, the only thing Bulma ever got was an occasional bout of human sickness.

But _this_… Vegeta could barely process how badly injured his wife was. Bulma was a mess of bandages and swelling bruises. The hospital gown she was in made her look so frail, he almost didn't want to get any closer, fearing he would do more harm than good. There were so many _machines. _His eyes scanned over the cuts and lacerations marring her usually flawless skin. He himself had seen, endured, and inflicted much worse in his life. But seeing her like this was almost unbearable.

He drew up his chair as close as he could while his mind raced with all the worst-case scenarios. What if Dende didn't recover fast enough to help? What if he lost her _and_ Trunks, and was left alone with Bra? He couldn't even fathom it. He was barely a decent parent as it was, and that was only because of Bulma. Hell, he couldn't even go see Trunks without her. Seeing the boy would be acknowledging the truth about his only son, and he wasn't ready to face that yet.

"Stupid woman," Vegeta mumbled, gently taking her hand in his. Both of their hands were bandaged, which was appropriate considering how badly the day had turned out. "Why didn't you wait for me? Hell, why would you even drive in such poor weather? Woman, Trunks is bad enough. I can't…"

Vegeta stopped before he lost his composure. For a long time, he sat there, staring at their joined hands and listening to the machines in the room. It was unbelievable how much he had grown to depend on this woman over the years. But now, for the first time in a long time, he was completely on his own. He had almost forgotten how to do it.

Then there was the fact that he was pretty damn sure this was all set up to harm his family. There was no coincidence here anymore. And as a man, it was his responsibility to protect his family. But how could he do that, when he didn't even know where to start? Hell, the only thing they even had was-

Vegeta sat back, frowning in thought as he analyzed all of the events. A minute later, the prince rose to his feet, finally surveying the hospital room for the first time since he got there. He prowled every inch of the room, and then opened a small closet by the bathroom. He impatiently tossed things aside, growling in frustration when he saw that there were only extra sterilized supplies and extra hospital gowns.

And then he looked up at the top shelf. Levitating up into the air, he found what he was looking for – a plastic tray with Bulma's belongings.

Vegeta quickly snatched the tray, digging through it. He grabbed her cell phone, already knowing it would be intact. After all, Bulma had specifically designed her smart phone so it was "Saiyan rage proof," since it was usually the first thing he destroyed when he got pissed at her. He tucked the phone into his own pocket, and then pulled out her purse. He immediately went through her purse, an endeavor he had only done once before. Makeup, pens, her wallet with her IDs, a mini calculator, strange devices that he had never seen before, and…_a gun_? The prince raised an eyebrow as he pulled it out. By the weight, he knew it was loaded. He looked back at Bulma in surprise. He hadn't even known she owned one of these things. Finally, he put the weapon and everything else back in the purse.

_Perhaps, _he mused as he descended back to the floor, _I can find where they took the damaged vehicle and search that. If she got that address, then it must be somewhere._

He pulled out her cell phone to call his father-in-law for assistance; the old man would know who to call and what strings to pull. Vegeta exhaled impatiently when he saw that Bulma had a key lock on her phone. He rubbed his eyes impatiently; would ANYTHING go his way today? Vegeta tried Trunks' birthday. Then Bra's. Then Bulma's. Those were the only dates he had memorized. He tried various combinations of those dates, and finally just tried their wedding anniversary date on a whim.

That worked, and the first thing that came up was an e-mail Bulma sent herself, that day…before the accident. He frowned and clicked the link, and a copy of the address came up on the screen. She had backed it up first before leaving. Finally, he had his first break of the day. Vegeta stared at the screen for about five seconds, committing everything to memory. He then tucked the phone back into his pocket, and walked back over to the bed in the room.

Sitting down on the edge, he leaned down and gently nuzzled his face against the side of Bulma's neck.

"I'll take care of everything, I promise. So you just need to get better…_I_ need you to get better," he whispered, drawing back and looking down at her. He tucked a loose blue curl out of her face as he quietly added, "Nothing else will hurt you or the kids. I swear it, on my life."

Vegeta then withdrew and left Bulma's room with greater purpose than he entered it. He glanced down the hallway towards where Bulma's friends were all gathered. They had been patiently waiting for him to leave her room before venturing over. The prince frowned at them, and walked off in the other direction.

A floor below them, Goten leaned back, looking his friend over in concern. Goten was wearing a gown, gloves, and a mask for breathing. He hated looking like he was afraid of Trunks, but the nurse had given him a strict warning. For all his swagger, Goten was still well-conditioned by Chi-Chi to respect female authority figures, so he hadn't argued one bit.

"Damn. That really sucks, Trunks," Goten quietly said.

"I know," Trunks responded, looking every bit as exhausted as he felt as he stared tiredly at the ceiling. He was getting tired of these unwanted hospital visits.

"You think it was one of the guys on your floor? You know, passed you the virus?"

"Eh, doubt it. No one's gotten this sick, not that I know of anyways."

"I guess," Goten sighed, drawing up his knees and sitting cross-legged in his chair. He had been with his brother when Gohan got the call from Goku. He hadn't been there for his friend the last time around, and he wasn't going to make that mistake again. "I'm sure someone will think of a solution though. Try not to worry about it too much."

Trunks smiled, but it was strained. "Who said I was worried?"

"You're not? I mean, I'm worried for you," Goten awkwardly admitted.

Trunks rolled his eyes, doing a good job of looking like he couldn't care less about his condition. Years of living and training with Vegeta had drilled in certain things into his mind, and the biggest one was the appearance of strength, even when strength was lacking. Truth was, deep down, he was scared shitless. He was only eighteen and was barely starting college. Hell no he didn't want to die. He didn't want to start getting worse and going through the horrible symptoms as his health declined. But he wasn't going to show that to Goten.

"Come on, man. Don't start getting like that with me. Like you said, our parents will probably think of something."

"Speaking of…" Goten started, before both teenagers looked towards the door right as Vegeta strode in.

"You, boy. Get out, now," he immediately ordered, looking at Goten and gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder.

"Vegeta, you can't just come in here like that," Goten said in alarm, looking the prince over. "You have to wear a mask, at least-"

"I don't have to do shit, now get the fuck out of my sight or I will forcibly remove you, am I clear?" Vegeta snarled at him. Goten nodded, giving Trunks a last glance before making his exit.

"You're gonna get in trouble with the nurses," Trunks informed his father as he came up next to his bed.

"You say that like I'm supposed to care," Vegeta snorted, reaching down to put his hand on Trunks' forehead. The teenager closed his eyes in relief. His father's hand was cool on his hot skin. Vegeta frowned, his eyes looking over that mark on his son's temple. The one that looked just like the brand he used to personally make. He couldn't stand to see it on his son for more than a second, needing to look away as he grumbled, "You're still burning up. What the hell are they getting paid for around here?"

"Dad, seriously. It's contagious," Trunks weakly said. The last thing he needed was to pass on the virus to someone else. "You should get a mask-"

"Don't worry about me, kid. You just worry about yourself," the Saiyan prince said, removing his hand as he turned and walked over to explore the supplies in this room, before disappearing into the private bathroom. "Besides. I would've gotten it already with our interactions earlier today. If I haven't gotten it yet, then I doubt I'll get it at all. I don't think this affliction affects full-blooded Saiyans."

"Well, alright…have you seen Mom?"

"Yes."

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine."

"And you? How are you doing?"

"What did I say? Worry about yourself, boy," Vegeta growled, emerging from the bathroom. He came back over to Trunks. He gently put a cool washcloth on his son's forehead, making Trunks swallow heavily. Instead of drawing comfort from his father's rare gesture, he only felt raw fear.

Trunks couldn't keep his voice steady as he asked, "I'm really going to die, aren't I, Dad?"

"No, don't be stupid," Vegeta angrily replied, turning his gaze to the wall. "As soon as Dende is able to, he will heal your mother, and together we'll all think of something for you. You won't die."

"But, there's no cure-"

"Trunks. I said we will think of something and we will," Vegeta cut in, harsher than he intended. Trunks fell silent, only now noticing that his father had yet to look at him for more than a few seconds since he entered. "Now just get rest and do what the humans tell you. I have to go take care of some things and check on your sister, but I'll return as soon as I can."

Trunks nodded, and Vegeta nodded back before leaving the room. Goten was waiting there, and he nodded to Vegeta before going back in to see his best friend. The prince sighed deeply. For once, he was grateful that there were others who cared for his family as well. At least they wouldn't be alone.

But now, he had things to do. Adopting a focused and intense mindset he hadn't felt since his purging days, Vegeta ignored everyone around him as he walked out of the hospital. The wind was blowing fiercely by now, thunder cracking the sky. He stepped out and blasted into the air, his shirt already skin-tight from the rain before he even cleared the block.

Vegeta was halfway to his destination, and was so focused on what he was doing and where he was going, that his blood pressure shot through the roof when Goku suddenly appeared out of thin air right in front of him. The prince barely managed to stop his flight before crashing right into the younger Saiyan. He would never, _ever _get used to that damn instant transmission.

"What the hell, Kakarot?" Vegeta hissed, his heart pounding in his chest. In his mind, he was pleading Goku not to tell him any more bad news. If anything happened to Trunks or Bulma in the short time he stepped away from them, he was going to lose it completely.

"I just wanted to see if you're okay. I know this has been tough-"

"Save it," Vegeta cut in, quickly flying past Goku as he continued on. But Goku was flying right next to him, much to the prince's frustration.

"Where are you going, Vegeta?" Goku persisted.

"It's none of your goddamned business, now GET LOST!" Vegeta screamed, ascending to Super Saiyan 2 as his speed increased exponentially.

Goku matched him immediately, and when Vegeta went to pull away again, Goku teleported right in front of him again, blocking his path. Vegeta didn't hesitate, taking a furious swing at his old rival. Much to his surprise, his fist landed square into Goku's jaw in a blow powerful enough to kill a human, if not decapitate them completely. The prince blinked as Goku flew back a few yards, yelping in pain as he cradled his jaw. He hadn't even tried to block it.

"You…let me hit you?" Vegeta asked in disbelief_. _They sparred so many times, Vegeta had lost count. In all that time, Goku had _never _given him a free shot. The younger Saiyan loved to fight just like he did, and hated to lose almost as much.

"Don't get used to it," Goku chuckled, rubbing his jaw as he grinned. "That was just a one day freebie. Feel better?"

Sure enough, he did. The day had been so emotionally draining and stressful, that throwing that punch was absolutely therapeutic. And Goku was the only one on the planet who could take the blow without either dying on contact or having a broken jaw afterwards. Damned if he would admit that it was helpful though. Vegeta frowned at him, before looking down to see where he was as Goku came closer to him.

Seeing that the prince was visibly more relaxed, Goku asked, "So where are you going?"

Vegeta sighed, "I am going to find an old employee from Capsule Corp. Bulma was going to see him when she got into her accident. She thought he might know something."

"About what's been going on?"

"Yes. He tried to give her a warning of some kind, a long time ago. But her father terminated his employment before he had the chance. I think someone still doesn't want him to get the chance, and that was the true reason for her accident and the fire at headquarters."

Goku went to speak, when lightning cracked and the rain intensified. The two Saiyans both looked up towards the sky in surprise as thunder rolled. Vegeta looked back at Goku, having to squint as the rain poured down his face. His skin was ice cold from the rain, and he wiped at his eyes in vain to clear his vision. It didn't help. Goku was just a bright, golden blur.

"And you're SURE it's not coincidence?" Goku asked loudly, trying to get his voice over the thunder as the wind seemed to angrily pick up around them. "You don't know why Bulma got into her accident-"

"Trunks swears he's seen visions of this employee's dead daughter! And now my son is dying, and my wife might be dying, and Dende cannot heal them! None of this is a fucking coincidence, Kakarot! Someone set all of this up, can't you see that!"

"But…who could be doing this? Why would anyone do this-?"

"I don't know!" Vegeta hissed in frustration. "All I know is, before Gohan got to me, I ran into some kind of being who seems dead-set on revenge against me."

"Revenge for what?"

"What else, Kakarot? Likely a purging of his planet or something similar!"

Goku looked more confused than ever, his wild hair sticking to his forehead. "But, you're saying someone survived and tracked you here-?"

"Look, I've told you all I know. I don't know what is going on, but I intend to find out. This fool might know something, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Right now."

"I'm coming with you then," Goku said with determination.

Vegeta felt like screaming at the night sky. He was wasting _so much_ time. But he recognized that tone – for all his faults, Goku was steadfast in his decisions once he made them. Changing his mind would likely require a real fight, and with no Senzu beans and Dende's powers shot, it would only do everyone more harm than good.

Goku backed up in midair as Vegeta was suddenly right in his face, only inches away. This close to each other now, Goku could see him clearly. He saw and recognized that look in Vegeta's eyes – that unhinged look that he hadn't worn in years.

The younger Saiyan warily leaned back as the prince sneered in his face, "Fine. But, we are doing this interrogation _my _way, Kakarot. _My_ family, _my_ rules. They're more important to me than upholding your precious moral code. If you get in my way or try to stop me, I will take you down once and for all. Understand?"

Goku nodded, and then Vegeta was flying through the rain again. Goku immediately flew after him, staying a few feet behind him and matching the prince's speed. He had been monitoring Vegeta's ki since the prince arrived at the hospital, and had gone after him when he felt Vegeta power up as he left the hospital. His intention had been to make sure his fellow full-blooded Saiyan, his friend, was alright. This wasn't what he had imagined walking into.

Now all he could do was hope things ended well.


	8. Retribution

Goku ran a hand over his face to clear his vision, before squinting through the rain. A few feet ahead of him, a stressed and frustrated Vegeta was splashing through huge puddles while he walked down the flooded street. They weren't too far away from West City, but this area was poor and run down, the complete opposite of the rich city. The houses around them looked like they were hundreds of years old, and though neither Saiyan said anything, they both felt eyes watching them from those houses.

Goku scratched his wet hair a bit as he looked around. This was definitely the right street, but there was no home that corresponded to the address Vegeta had. Quickening his pace, he fell in step next to the prince.

"And you're _sure_ you have the right address?" Goku asked for the third time.

"Yes, you moron, I have the right address!" Vegeta snapped, pointing angrily at the last house they had passed. "That one over there is 752, so 754 should be close."

"I dunno, Vegeta…there's nothing but trees beyond this point."

"It _must_ be here somewhere," Vegeta hissed, before his rough voice subtly changed, becoming deadly as he continued, "And if we _don't_ find it on foot within the next minute, then I will simply begin asking the neighbors here for their kind assistance."

Goku frowned. He didn't like the sound of that, not one bit. There was a razor sharp edge to Vegeta that had been absent for years, from his tone, to his relentless pace, to the way he was glancing around him. The way he was talking, it sounded like he was going to kill every human within a five mile radius if he didn't find the address they were looking for.

Taking a breath to regroup, Goku forced images of a murderous rampage out of his head, and gave Vegeta the benefit of the doubt. After all, the prince was under a substantial amount of stress. Ever the optimist, Goku figured things would get better once they figured out what was really going on.

"Kakarot, hurry up!" Vegeta barked, moving even faster now. They were getting further away from the other houses, and were moving through thick trees into what looked like a dense forest. "I think I see something over there."

Goku squinted. He could just barely see through the fog to make out a large, dark blot in the distance. It could've been a house, but it was hard to tell. "You think someone actually lives out here?"

"Only one way to find out."

The two Saiyans quietly walked on, deeper into the forest area, walking through the mud while avoiding random branches and leaves. They both trudged through thick mud now, dirtying their pants from the knees down. Finally, there was a small clearing where the trees stopped. They were standing on grass when Vegeta stopped walking, staring at the house in front of them. Goku came up next to him, looking the house over curiously.

"754?" he asked, looking at the old mailbox that was barely standing up. He leaned in close to see it better. "That was the number, right, Vegeta?"

"Hn."

"Well, this is it. Looks abandoned though."

Vegeta silently agreed. The house was three stories tall and had long lost its luster it seemed. Still, he was undeterred. This was the right address and the only place he could think of where he could get some answers, and he wasn't leaving until he did. Without a word, he walked on, approaching the house with Goku on his heels.

"I'm not sensing anyone, are you, Vegeta?" Goku warily asked, not comfortable with exploring someone's property uninvited.

"Kakarot, there was once a time when I relied completely on my scouter to learn about my enemies," Vegeta responded, walking up the steps to the front porch. He immediately moved to a window, trying to peek in as he continued, "Then I came here, and I realized scouters were overrated. Now I've come in contact with a new enemy, and have found that sensing energy is also overrated."

Goku blinked a bit. "Huh. Well. If that's the case, then I should knock to make sure no one's here."

"…Sure, Kakarot. You do that," Vegeta blandly responded before hopping over the porch rail to land on the grass. The prince started walking along the side of the house, to scope it out. His fingers were itching to beat someone to death for answers, but first he wanted to see the layout of the old house from the outside.

_Know all the routes of escape and cut them off, _Frieza's mechanical voice rang in his mind. Vegeta grit his teeth, forcing the memories away, even while he instinctively did just as he was once trained to do.

Meanwhile, Goku knocked on the front door. He tried listening to something inside the house, but it was raining too hard for him to tell. The Saiyan stood there for a while, and then knocked again. For some reason, the outside temperature was going up, and it was starting to make him sweat.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Goku politely called out. Vegeta was coming up behind him, done with his house check, as Goku knocked a third time. The younger Saiyan then turned towards the prince and shrugged. "Well, no one's answering, so I don't think-"

His words were cut off when Vegeta violently kicked the wooden door open, almost tearing the door off its hinges. The prince then stalked inside, leaving Goku wide-eyed and blinking in the doorway.

"…well, that's one way to do it," Goku relented, going in behind Vegeta.

The drenched warriors hadn't taken more than five steps inside the old house when their golden hair faded to black at the same time, and not by their command. Both Saiyans shot each other startled looks. Vegeta frowned, raising his hand up and trying to summon his ki, to no avail.

"Shit," he hissed under his breath.

"What in the world is going on?" Goku asked in bewilderment, unable to summon up his own ki as well.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Vegeta growled, brushing his wet hair out of his face and looking around. The house was much bigger than it looked. But it was deserted. No way anyone could have been living here recently. His sensitive nose was overwhelmed by the smell of dust, and there were cobwebs clinging to the old furniture. He took a breath, readied himself, and then boomed out, "I'M LOOKING FOR TYLER XHAO! IF HE'S HERE OR YOU KNOW WHO HE IS, SHOW YOURSELF!"

Silence. Both Saiyans were straining their hearing, but it was hard to hear anything over the rain. Vegeta looked over at Goku and gestured towards the door. Goku went back and quietly closed it so they could hear better. Unfortunately, they were now left in darkness. Outside, a flash of lightning cracked the night sky, briefly lighting the house for a split second. Goku tried a light switch by the door, then shook his head at the prince, silently telling him there was no electricity.

Vegeta waited a few seconds, and then yelled, "IF _ANYONE_ IS HERE, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU COME OUT RIGHT NOW! DON'T MAKEME FIND YOU, BECAUSE YOU WON'T LIKE THE RESUL-shit, Kakarot! Get away from me!" Vegeta furiously hissed, rubbing the back of his neck. The small hairs had stood up, his instinctive response to someone walking too close to him. He spun around to berate his fellow Saiyan, but his words died on his tongue when he saw no one there. He swallowed, a chill running down his spine.

"Kakarot?" Vegeta called out, forcing his voice not to show that he was a little shaken. He glanced back towards the door. No - he would've heard that open. The other Saiyan was still in the house, unless he used that damn instant transmission to run away. "Kakarot, you idiot, where are you!" he called out again, stronger and angrier this time.

"I'm in here!"

Vegeta followed his friend's voice, deep down grateful that he was stuck with the younger Saiyan. He had wanted to come alone, but he had to admit to himself that in a pinch, it was always good to have his old rival there, on his side. He rounded the entrance to the living room, and scowled when he saw Goku crouched down by a wooden table.

"Here. Just trying to get something so we can see," Goku said, easily ripping a leg off the table. "These will last a little bit."

"Hn." Vegeta's eye twitched as he proudly added, "I need no such thing, fool. I can see fine."

"Oh, I know, but this'll help anyways. Here. Take it."

He tossed it to Vegeta. The prince grumbled under his breath a little, and then scraped the wooden leg hard on the floor, igniting it on fire and creating a makeshift, temporary torch. He wet the bottom part with his shirt, ensuring the fire wouldn't move too far down.

The prince then turned around, surveying his surroundings. The light helped his steel his nerves, but without being able to use his own ki, Vegeta felt naked. And, strangely, like a sitting target. Someone (or something?) was one step ahead of him, like a hunter playing with its prey, and it was unnerving.

Goku stood up with his own makeshift torch, coming up next to Vegeta. "So did you hear anything?"

"No," Vegeta admitted as his scowl grew. He stared at the shadows created by the light from the fires, scanning the living room over almost compulsively. "But something's here that's draining our ki. Let's search the building. Even if no one is here, perhaps we can find some clues."

Goku awkwardly shifted his weight. "I dunno, Vegeta…this place is kinda creepy-"

"What are you, a child? We didn't come all this way to leave now!" Vegeta barked. He swept his torch and ordered, "Now, you search this downstairs area, and I will search upstairs."

"But…" Goku didn't continue his protest when Vegeta headed straight for the stairs, marching up with a purpose. The younger Saiyan shrugged, and then started exploring the living room, not knowing what he was looking for. But, maybe if luck was on his side, he could find something to eat.

Vegeta got to the top of the stairs, and his nose immediately registered the smell of fresh blood. The prince tightened his grip on the broken wooden leg, barely noticing when little splinters dug into his bandaged palm. He looked left, then right. Finally, he chose to head to the right.

The first door on his left was slightly ajar. Vegeta brought up his torch close to it, and almost recoiled when he saw the engraving on the door. Reaching out with his free hand, the prince lightly traced out the markings on the wood with his fingertips. It only took him a second to recognize it.

_This is what was scratched on our bathroom mirror at home, _he suddenly realized. Only they weren't faint scratchings here. No, on this door, it looked like someone carved out the markings with bloody nails. Desperately. As though it made the difference between life and death. Vegeta scowled, staring at the markings and desperately trying to remember what they meant. He stood there for almost a whole minute, before shaking his head in anger and frustration. It had been too long, and he must have only seen it on a glance, because he couldn't think of anything.

Slowly, Vegeta pushed the door open, raising his torch to see better as he entered the room. He was in a girl's bedroom, and his eyes widened as he read the large, old, blood marked words staining the wall, sprawled over old posters and pictures of a teenage girl–

'_STAY OUT OF THIS.'_

"Stay out of this?" Vegeta read, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. Stay out of what? What the hell had these people gotten themselves into?

He was hardly aware of the increasing heat in the room, even though he was sweating profusely. Slowly, he inched his way back in until he was at an old dresser. On top were pictures covered in dust. He picked up an old frame, examining the teenaged girl in the photo. In the bottom right corner was her name in printed, fancy calligraphy – _Kegan_.

The prince frowned as he stared at the picture. This had to be the girl Trunks was talking about, but there was nothing special about her that Vegeta could see. She looked like a normal girl heading off to college.

Vegeta's head snapped towards the ceiling when he suddenly heard wood creaking above him. Footsteps. Had to be. He quickly stalked out of the room, yelling out, "Who's up there! You can either come down on your own and answer some questions, or I'll go up there and beat the answers out of you!"

His heart was pounding as he waited for some kind of answer, even while he swept his rapidly burning out torch back and forth, looking for a way upstairs.

Only then did he realize that it was way too quiet in the house. Frowning, Vegeta looked down over the rail and yelled out, "Kakarot! Where are you?"

He waited to hear something back from his fellow Saiyan, but instead heard the creaks again from the attic, louder this time. Vegeta growled, examining the ceiling again like a tiger ready to pounce. He was about to pound his way through the ceiling when he spotting a handle on the ceiling several yards away. He leapt up and grabbed it, yanking it down and immediately displaying a short flight of stairs leading up. In record time, the prince shot up the stairs, eager to catch who this was red-handed.

As soon as he got to the attic, though, his blood ran cold. His hand wasn't quite steady as he raised the burning wooden leg to see better, and chills went down his back from what he saw.

Meanwhile, Goku was downstairs and prowling through the kitchen, anxiously waiting for Vegeta to come back downstairs so they could leave. He kept hearing weird creaks in the wood, and it was creeping him out. He had already checked out the downstairs area as requested, and now wanted to get something to eat before they went back to the hospital. Of course, there was nothing to eat, but that didn't stop him from looking.

Finally, he decided to go see what Vegeta was doing. As he was just exiting the kitchen, though, he heard an furious echo of voices from behind him say in unison-

"_Get out." _

Goku yelped and spun around, raising the burning wooden table leg to see, but there was no one there. He tried to sense someone's ki, but couldn't sense anything. His eyes narrowed; though he was much more mellow and easy-going than Vegeta, he was still a Saiyan. He didn't particularly care for the challenge and threat in the ominous words. His voice was brave when he called out again.

"Who's there?" When he got no response, he slowly started walking back into the kitchen while he added, "My friend and I just want to talk. He's worried about his family and he thinks someone here might know something. Will you please come out so we can talk?"

Silence. Rain poured outside as Goku scratched the back of his head a bit in confusion. He then brought two fingers to his forehead to find Vegeta, but before he could, a door he hadn't noticed in the corner slowly creaked open. Goku went over to investigate, and saw that there were steps leading down into a pitch black basement. He gulped a little, and called out-

"Is someone down there?"

When no one responded, Goku slowly walked down the stairs to investigate.

Meanwhile, Vegeta was in the attic and surrounded by Bulma. They were _hundreds_ of pictures of Bulma, all along the attic wall, going up to the triangle ceiling, everywhere he could see. Pictures from when she was a child all the way up to around the time he met her. News clippings taped over pictures of awards she won, speeches she gave, donations she made. It was like a twisted shrine. He slowly turned around in a full 360 degrees, shaken by the disturbing level of infatuation towards his wife.

He was drawn to one picture in particular, and upon further examination, it made him feel sick. It was of Bulma when she was visibly pregnant with Trunks, beaming into the camera while she cradled her large stomach in her hands. But the prince wasn't focused on his beautiful wife, nor was he feeling the usual pang of regret that always struck his heart when he saw pictures of the pregnancy he had been absent for.

Instead, Vegeta was horrified for the first time in decades as he reached out to touch the picture. On the old photograph, over her stomach, was smeared blood. Fresh, warm blood. As soon as his fingers touched the blood, the fire on the wood ran out, and he was in darkness.

The prince snarled in frustration, throwing down the used wood to the floor where it broke into pieces. Spinning on his heel, he stalked back towards the steps to leave this place. His mind was spinning, and he couldn't sort things out rationally. The only thing he knew was the horrible feeling in his stomach of pure anxiety. He hadn't gotten answers, but he'd seen more than enough. He needed to get back to his family as soon as possible.

Vegeta was about to descend the steps when they raised and snapped back shut, with so much force that he staggered back a couple of steps. He tried forcing the steps to lower again, furiously kicking at it, to no avail. He was officially pissed off now, sweating profusely as he straightened again, glaring down at the floor. He was getting sick and tired of having his strength randomly zapped.

In frustration, he was about to reach out to Goku mentally to order the younger Saiyan to teleport them both out, when lightning flashed. The entire attic was lit up in the flash of light, and Vegeta stumbled backwards in shock when a dark, solid body with red eyes was outlined right in front of him. The prince landed sitting down, wide-eyed. Lightning flashed again and he realized the entire attic was filled with more dark shadows, all of them with those haunting red eyes. An army of vengeance, staring at him with blank hatred the likes of which he'd never seen, even with his hate-filled past.

"_This family is gone. They can't save you now," _that childlike ominous voice spoke.

Vegeta's teeth were painfully grinding together. He wanted nothing more than to kick someone's teeth down their throat, especially whoever that voice belonged to. He was being toyed with, and it enraged him. The prince struggled to keep his anger in check, forcing his voice to remain calm as he said, "Look. If you just tell me who you are and what you want from me-"

"_We want revenge, and we will have it."_

Vegeta couldn't help the vicious snarl that rose from his chest, before he roared, "You will have NOTHING! You think you can take my ki from me forever? Fools, I will find a way around it, and when I do-"

"_Your power cannot save you here, Prince Vegeta. You and your family will die, just like this family did-"_

"I don't give a shit about what happened to this human family!" Vegeta hissed, rapidly shooting up to his feet. He looked like a madman, shouting at shadows, but he didn't care. He balled up his fists and growled, "But so help me, if you harm _my _family-"

"_Your sins are not and will never be forgiven, and your family will pay for them-"_

Vegeta flew forward without warning and with his inhuman speed, lowering his shoulder to barrel through whoever this was threatening his family. But he met nothing but air, his momentum sending him crashing hard into the wooden wall. Normally, he would've probably barreled right through the wall, but now, it felt like he crashed into the toughest metal in the universe.

The prince landed on the floor, pictures of Bulma falling over him as he slowly got up to his hands and knees, shaking his head rapidly. His eyes were watering from the hard impact as he looked over, seeing the shadows still staring at him.

"Who _are_ you?" he rasped.

"_Retribution."_

With that, Vegeta felt hundreds of powerful, invisible hands grab his shirt, roughly hauling him up to his feet. He furiously tried pulling away and resisting, but his hands weren't grabbing anything except air. He had never felt so defenseless, but he didn't have enough time to think of what to do before he was spun around and violently thrown head-first right through the unforgiving wooden wall of the attic. Vegeta crashed hard through a thick tree on his way to the ground, landing heavily in thick mud. He stubbornly tried getting up, getting up to his hands and knees as his arms shook. But the pain in his head was utterly unbearable, and he collapsed.

Meanwhile, Goku had felt the stirrings of panic in his fellow Saiyan, and had been unsuccessfully trying to knock down the door leading out of the basement. His instant transmission wasn't working much to his frustration. He was trapped and helpless to do anything about it.

His head snapped up when he heard a horrible crash. It sounded like thunder, but if there was anything Goku was a genius in aside from fighting and eating, it was nature. That wasn't thunder, and he knew he had to get out _immediately. _With renewed purpose, Goku pulled back his bruised and bloodied fist, grit his teeth together, and with a shout, he slammed his fist into the door as hard as he could.

The door blasted right off its hinges, spinning top over bottom before crashing into the far wall. Goku ran out of the basement, and then looked out the window. He squinted a bit, and then saw the broken tree with someone outside on the ground. He squinted more, and then his eyes shot open when he recognized that unmistakable hair style.

Goku ran outside into the storm which still hadn't let up. He knelt down next to Vegeta, forcing the smaller Saiyan on his back. The prince weakly turned his head away.

"Vegeta! Are you alright?" Goku asked in bewilderment and concern, looking his friend over. He had no idea who was strong enough to hurt one of the most powerful warriors in the universe. He looked up to examine the house, blinking when he saw the busted attic.

Vegeta took a few deep breaths, and then slowly tried to get up. Goku helped him sit up, and fortunately for him, the prince was too out of it to notice or resist. Vegeta squinted his eyes open as he brought one hand up to his forehead, instinctively checking for blood. But there was only mud and rain on his hand that he could see. He wiped his forearm across his face, ridding the mud off him and tuning into what Goku was saying.

"…go see if Dende has regained his powers, you don't look so good-"

"No," Vegeta roughly interrupted, shaking his head, both in disagreement and to shake off his dizziness. "I have to check on Bra."

"But, Vegeta, she's with Bulma's parents. She'll be fine, and you have to-"

"I said NO, Kakarot!" Vegeta growled, slowly forcing himself up to his feet. "I have to bring my daughter back with me. I have to be with all three of them. I have to protect them from whatever this is-"

"Alright, we'll go get Bra, so you feel better," Goku gently said, putting a hand on Vegeta's shoulder for both teleportation and to steady the prince, who didn't look exactly stable on his feet.

"I don't need your goddamned…" Vegeta started, before his surroundings suddenly changed to a fancy hotel suite. He blinked, and then scowled as he irritably finished, "…help."

"Oh my!" Bunny's surprised voice rang out. Both Saiyans turned around to face Bulma's mother. "I didn't know you two were stopping by!"

"Vegeta wanted to check on Bra," Goku informed her, and then he looked the prince over with a careful eye. "I'll go see how Dende's doing."

Vegeta couldn't respond before Goku vanished. The prince rolled his eyes, and sat down heavily on a leather sofa, uncaring that he was drenched and covered in mud. He reached up to brush his hair out of his face, before holding his aching head in his hand. He could feel his daughter though, and for that, he was relieved.

"Bulma's father went to see her at the hospital," Bunny informed him, setting a glass of water on the stand next to the table. "He said it would be best if I stayed here with Bra, since we didn't want to upset her. She doesn't know anything yet. I wanted to go, but the roads, they're so clogged with the weather…oh, how are they, Vegeta? Will they be alright?" she asked anxiously, and for the first time in a while, she looked and sounded her age.

"Bulma and Trunks will be fine. Now bring Bra out here," Vegeta gruffly ordered, not even bothering to look up. Bunny patted his shoulder in comfort, and then disappeared to do as he asked.

"Daddy!" Bra shouted. Vegeta looked up, and saw his daughter skid to a stop in front of him. She had clearly been intent on launching herself into him, but she froze when she saw him. Her blue eyes scanned him over, and her nose crinkled up. "Eww, why are you so dirty?"

Vegeta ignored what she said, reaching out and grabbing her small hand. He pulled her closer to examine her better. Her blue hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and she was dressed for bed in a brand new, matching set of blue pajamas. She was holding a new stuffed rabbit in her right hand, hugging it closely.

"Daddy?"

"Hn?"

The prince blinked a bit, and then scowled when Bra got right in his face, examining his dark eyes with a scientific curiosity that was definitely inherited from her mother's side.

"Your eyes look funny. Did Goku beat you up again?"

Vegeta's gaze darkened considerably. "That fool doesn't beat _me _up, brat. I'm fine."

"Oh, well okay. Look! Grandma and Grandpa bought me this bunny at the zoo before it closed down! Isn't it pretty?" Bra excitedly asked, practically shoving the rabbit into his face. "Can we go home now so I can show Mommy?"

Her father hesitated, uncomfortable with the position he found himself in. His intention had been to bring his daughter back with him, to have her easily within reach. It had slipped his mind that he couldn't bring her back to the hospital without filling her in.

"Bra…listen," Vegeta started, deciding to just be blunt and get things over with as he wiped the mud on his hands off using his jeans. "Your brother is sick, and your mother had a small car accident. They are both going to be fine, but I need you to come with me to the hospital to be with them. So get your things."

"Oh no!" Bra wailed, her blue eyes filling with tears. "Mommy and Trunks-"

"-are going to be _fine_," Vegeta roughly interrupted, uncertain if he was trying to convince her or convince himself. He sighed, and his tone wasn't as harsh when he added, "Don't worry, child. Everything will be fine. Now get your things. Don't make me tell you again."

She sniffed a little, brushing at her tears while she nodded. The little girl then turned around to head back into the bedroom of the hotel suite, where Bunny was waiting for her. Vegeta was left alone, physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. He tiredly looked out the window, trying to wrap his mind around what had happened back at the Xhao residence. What had really happened to that family, and what was the link with his own family?

Vegeta closed his eyes, leaning against the arm rest and massaging the side of his head. He couldn't think straight at the moment, so brooding wasn't going to help. All that mattered was keeping his family safe, and making sure his wife and his son were back on their feet soon.

The prince flinched in surprise when Goku reappeared in front of him. They both made eye contact, and Goku shook his head.

"Still a no go. He needs a little more time. He's going to need to regain all his powers if he's going to help Bulma alone."

"How long?"

"A day or two."

"Hn," Vegeta grunted. It wasn't ideal, but Bulma could last a little longer. He knew she could. The prince looked back out the window listlessly as Bunny and Bra walked out, ready to go and hand-in-hand. Bra had her pink bookbag on, with her rabbit barely stuffed in there. "Take all of us back to the hospital then, Kakarot. No sense in anyone staying here anymore."

Goku nodded. He put two fingers up to his forehead, and then took Bunny's free hand. Bra looked towards her father, and extended her hand to him. Vegeta immediately took it, giving it a comforting squeeze as he nodded to her.

Their surroundings changed to the familiar hospital. Vegeta instinctively sneered in disgust at the assaulting smell of this place. He backed up a little when their small group was surrounded by the usual gang of friends. Tuning them out, he cocked his head to one side and sensed out Bulma and Trunks. They were weaker than when he had left. Turning around, he stalked away to a nearby bathroom, desperately needing to be alone.

The prince paced in the men's bathroom, feeling very much like a bomb about to explode. He rotated his neck as his fingers twitched for some kind of release for his stress. In the past, that had been through horrible violence and plenty of spilled blood. Nowadays, unwinding consisted of either training under high gravity or losing himself in Bulma's body. Then again, nowadays, he never felt this type of stress. And his time under Frieza hadn't prepared him for protecting a family he loved deeply against an enemy he couldn't even lay a hand on.

Vegeta stopped pacing in front of one mirror, gripping the edges of the sink so tightly, the ceramic cracked under his fingers. He stood there for a few seconds in a tense silence, before violently tearing off the entire sink from the wall. He then hurled it against the glass, shattering everything to pieces. It wasn't the best way to vent, but at that moment in time, he didn't care. It felt good to break something. Absent-mindedly, he wished that it were bones he was breaking. He shook his head to rid the thought, pacing again as his mind unwillingly went to dark places.

Suddenly, a voice chuckled from behind him, "Good thing you guys have money to pay for that."

Vegeta spun around and immediately raised a glowing hand towards the voice, making Gohan raise his hands up.

"Hey, easy," he gently said, before extending what was in his hands towards the prince. "Got you some dry clothes…" the Saiyan hybrid paused and frowned a little. "You okay, Vegeta?"

"I'm fine," Vegeta hissed, only now realizing that he was out of breath. His heart was pounding almost painfully hard, but he forced himself to calm down. Stalking up towards Gohan, he yanked the clothes out of his hands as he demanded, "How are they?"

"Bulma's alright. She's hanging in there. Trunks…he's been sleeping mostly. Talking a lot in his sleep. Does he normally do that?"

"No," Vegeta answered, hastily changing right where he was with his back towards Gohan. "What's he saying?"

"That's the thing. We don't really know. It doesn't sound like any language I've ever heard."

"Hn. I'll check on him."

"Alright…well, I'm going to leave with Videl for a while, help her get Pan situated. I'll be back later, okay?"

"Whatever," Vegeta said with indifference, leaving his muddied clothes on the floor while he cleaned up a little at an unbroken sink. "Stay at home, come back, I don't give a shit. Do what you want."

Gohan sighed, watching as the prince angrily stalked out of the bathroom. He looked over at the mess on the floor, shaking his head, and then headed out himself.

When he came back a few hours later, Gohan found that everyone not directly related him or to the Briefs family had left. Dr. Briefs and Bunny, both looking incredibly aged after the stressful day, were looking after Bra. They had used their influence and money to get themselves comfortably situated at the hospital, and they were asleep when Gohan checked them. Goten was still in Trunks' room, allowed to stay there only because the Briefs had requested it, and both teenagers were asleep.

Gohan wasn't surprised when he peeked into Bulma's room, to find Vegeta sitting next to her bed, awake even though he looked dead tired. He was holding his wife's hand, watching her for any signs of her coming around. Gohan sighed, and then quietly walked away, going to talk to his father about where he had gone that day with Vegeta.

Vegeta of course noticed Gohan's presence when he came up to the door, but he didn't acknowledge it. His mind was racing with so many things that he could barely keep them straight. There were so many unanswered questions he still had. At the crux of it was the Xhao family and how they played into all of this. He had some theories based on things he'd seen today, but nothing concrete. Still, he wasn't terribly concerned with a family who apparently had already died. His biggest worries were the unknown enemy lurking in the shadows, the fatal disease plaguing his son, and getting his wife healed.

_An alien aura, _Dende had said. As hard as it was to believe, it must've been some survivors from an old purge, with strange alien powers that he hadn't seen before. Vegeta lowered his head to the edge of the bed and sighed, his mouth millimeters from Bulma's fingers. His head was still hurting from the impact earlier, a sign that he needed to think of a new strategy to approach this enemy. Brute force wasn't going to cut it, not this time. But his wife would help him figure it all out. She always did.

_Retribution. _Time would tell just who would get theirs.


	9. Getting answers

A few days later, Dr. Briefs sighed. He absent-mindedly tugged on his white moustache, looking his son-in-law over in concern. They were still in the hospital, and it was coming up on five in the morning. The elderly scientist was hard-pressed for sleep, juggling worry for their family and the after-effects of the Capsule Corp headquarters going up in flames. Vegeta was in the same boat, operating on autopilot while he mechanically alternated seeing his wife, his son, and his daughter. Dr. Briefs had stayed out of the Saiyan's way, not wanting to bother him, but Vegeta had other plans.

"Son, you should get some sleep," Dr. Briefs quietly said while Vegeta chugged down coffee in a white styrofoam cup. "You look terrible-"

"Did you get the information or not?" the prince roughly interrupted, crumpling the cup in his hand. He tossed it aside into a waste bucket against the wall. Dr. Briefs tugged on his moustache harder, glancing towards the door where Trunks was.

"I used my resources, yes. It was difficult with the weather since the rain hasn't stopped, but I got you some information printed downstairs in the lobby. I just had a worker bring it up," Dr. Briefs said, raising a thick pile of paper in his right hand that were still warm from printing. Vegeta's reaction was immediate – he snatched the sheets out of his father-in-law's hand so fast that the paper cut Dr. Briefs' hand. Vegeta smelled the faint blood, and he spared the old man a glance before looking down at the new information in his hands. Dr. Briefs pretended it didn't happen as he continued, "I don't think you'll find anything useful. That old address you gave me? That house has been abandoned for 18 years."

"Is that a fact?" Vegeta mumbled under his breath, flipping through the sheets of paper in his hands.

"Vegeta…what is this obsession with this Xhao family?" Dr. Briefs finally sighed. Vegeta glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow when he saw the serious way his father-in-law was looking at him.

"It's not an obsession," he calmly responded. The prince reached out to Dr. Briefs' front shirt pocket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes. It was already half-empty. Vegeta shook his head, pocketing the cigarettes. "You're already a walking corpse, old man. Stop using this garbage, it's only speeding up the process."

Dr. Briefs chuckled. "Taking care of the entire family now, huh?"

Vegeta hesitated a second, and then looked down at the papers in his hand. He stayed silent, struggling with a deep guilt that had slowly been creeping up through him over the past few days. Suddenly unable to look Dr. Briefs in the eye, he raised the papers a bit and gave a small nod of thanks, and then turned around to go back to Bulma's room. The prince paused for a moment though when his father-in-law put a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything will be alright, my boy. You'll see."

Vegeta briefly nodded, and then left. He didn't fully believe that, and he wondered if Bulma's father believed it either. Going back to his wife's room, he reached out his senses and immediately pinpointed Goku and Yamcha downstairs. It seemed like they never left, but he wasn't always tracking them, so he didn't know for sure. He was both annoyed and relieved by their continuous presence.

Going back into Bulma's room, Vegeta dimmed the already dim lights down even more. He then took his usual seat by her bed, watching her for a few minutes. It took a moment before he remembered the papers he had in his hand, and then his attention was completely on that. Part of the perks of having the most influential man in the world as his father-in-law was having the ultimate connections right at his fingertips. The only person who had more sway than Dr. Briefs was Bulma. Vegeta had never exploited his family's power, but if there was ever a time for it, that time was now.

For a while, he pored over the new information, memorizing everything that was known about the Xhao family. Dates of birth, schools attended, occupations, hobbies, bank records, pictures. Vegeta read every last line, even though his eyes were burning from exhaustion. But what he wanted to know the most – where this family was _now, _what they were doing, and how he could contact them – that information was missing. The last thing after Kegan's death was an unresolved missing persons report taken out shortly afterwards on Tyler and Mia Xhao, her parents. Vegeta threw the papers aside in frustration. He had insight on the family, but he wanted answers. And he had no idea how to get them.

A couple hours later, Vegeta was leaning forward, his eyes closed while he gripped his hair tightly with both hands - his stressed out, pre-purge, space pod position he had assumed thousands of times before slaughtering entire planets. He didn't notice, instead focusing on trying to piece the puzzle together. Too many questions that needed to be answered. It was like a dense fog, and he could only see glimpses of what was beyond it and nothing more. He needed more information, but he was now at a dead end.

Meanwhile, Bra was awake and in true Saiyan fashion, she was starving. Feeling bold because she was surrounded by family and friends in the hospital, she snuck away from her sleeping grandparents and went downstairs to the hospital cafeteria for breakfast. The little girl kept her eyes down, not wanting to look up and see the frightening bad people who were becoming more and more visible to her. Just to make herself feel better, she brought her pink bookbag downstairs with her. Too young to grasp the magnitude of what her mother and brother were going through, she wanted them both to hurry up and get better so they could go home. She didn't like it there in the hospital, but her father was forbidding her to leave. She didn't like that much either.

The cafeteria was deserted, save for a pair of elderly women serving themselves coffee. The little girl quietly went about her business, picking out a few mini boxes of cereal and some cartons of milk. It was only when she was at the register, standing on her tiptoes to put the cereal and milk on the counter, that it dawned on Bra that she had no money to pay.

"Aw crap," Bra muttered under her breath as the cashier rang up her items, her face and tone matching her mother when Bulma was frustrated. The little girl looked up at the cashier and politely added, "I'm going to get my daddy so he can give me money. I'll be back."

"That's alright, you don't have to do that," a male voice cut in from behind, making Bra look back in surprise. She eyed the man she didn't know, hearing her mother's voice in her head not to associate with strangers. But she relaxed when she saw him give her a warm smile, and saw the hospital uniform he was wearing. He looked somewhere between her mother and grandfather in age, with rough tanned skin and balding white hair. The man kindly addressed the cashier. "I'll cover her things with my coffee."

"Oh, thank you, sir," Bra said with a smile, reaching up for her cereal and milk.

"You're welcome," he said, handing the cashier a bill. He gestured for no change and picked up his cup of coffee, turning his gaze down to the little girl in front of him. "There are bowls over here you can use," he gestured, and then started leading the way.

Bra followed after him, happily surprised to meet such a helpful stranger. "Thank you, Mister…?"

"Oh, don't call me 'mister'. It makes me feel old. Just call me Tyler. Here's a bowl for you, Bra."

Bra froze, giving him a suddenly suspicious look. "How did you know my name?"

"You look just like your mother, and I know that Bulma had a daughter named Bra. You're smart, just like her."

"Thank you."

"Does she know that you're here?"

"Yes. Well. No," Bra sadly relented. "She's a patient here. My brother too."

For no reason Bra could place, the man before her seemed to tense at the news, his brows drawing together in apprehension. "That's unfortunate news. Nothing too bad, I hope?"

"My daddy won't let me see them, but he says they'll be fine. And my daddy never lies."

"Yes, I'm _sure_ he doesn't," Tyler answered with a slight hint of animosity that flew over Bra's head. The little girl was too busy trying to pour herself a bowl of cereal to notice the flash of hatred on the man's face at the mention of her father. By the time she looked back at him, he was scribbling something down on a yellow napkin. "Listen, Bra, I have to get back to work. But I need you to do me a really big favor. Are you up for it?"

"I dunno. Depends what it is," Bra incredulously responded with a suspicion that left no mistake as to who her father was.

"I need you to give this napkin to your mother when she's well enough for it. It's got a phone number on it," Tyler said, pushing the napkin closer to the girl who peered down at his home phone number. "It's _very_ important that you give this to your mother and _not _your father. He can't know anything about this, okay?"

Bra's eyes narrowed. "Why? My mommy and daddy don't keep secrets from each other."

"If she wants to tell him afterwards, that's fine. But let her decide that, okay?"

"Hmph. Well. Only cause you bought me my cereal," Bra relented, taking the napkin and stuffing it into her pant pocket.

"And try to stay with your parents. It's not safe for a little girl to be wandering around by herself-"

Suddenly, an angry voice shouted, "BRA! COME HERE, NOW!"

"Uh oh, that's my daddy and he doesn't sound happy, I gotta go now, bye!" Bra said in one rushed breath, spinning around and running over to her father while juggling a bowl, her small boxes of cereal, and her cartons of milk.

Tyler looked over towards one of the entrances to the cafeteria, and immediately recognized the flame-haired man that was standing there. He quickly looked away, preparing himself a cup of coffee and pretending to be indifferent. Still, he could feel Vegeta's steely, murderous glare right on him.

"What the hell were you doing down here so long?" Vegeta growled, finally shifting his intense glare to the little girl in front of him.

"You knew I was down here?" Bra asked, blinking in awe.

Of course he had. He'd been tracking her ever since she left the room. Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed.

"I know everything, girl. It doesn't take this long to come down here for food, especially when there is barely anyone here."

"Oh, I was just talking to the worker man a little. He was nice. He paid for my cereal!"

The prince's eyes darkened, and his voice was lethal when he demanded, "He didn't touch you, did he?"

"No, but he did give me a bowl for my cereal," Bra answered happily.

"Hn." Vegeta's glare didn't soften at his daughter's innocent answer, but his eyes did. Reaching down to her, he easily lifted the little girl up, holding her against him with one arm. Bra smiled, and then used Vegeta's chest to help her balance her cereal and milk cartons while he carried her back upstairs.

"Do you want to share my breakfast, Daddy?"

"No. I'm not hungry," the prince absently answered, his mind elsewhere.

"Oh," Bra quietly answered, looking at her father's face carefully. He looked more tired than she had ever seen him, his eyes distant, and she bit her bottom lip nervously. "Are Mommy and Trunks…are they getting worse?"

That brought Vegeta out of it. He scowled at her. "No. What makes you say that?"

"I dunno," Bra quietly answered, picking at a button on his shirt.

"Everything will be fine, child. You'll see." He lowered his daughter back down to the floor in front of the room that his in-laws had claimed. "Now stay here with your grandparents. No more wandering alone. If you want food, make one of the human dogs get you some. Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

Vegeta put a hand gently on top of her head for a few seconds, and Bra leaned up against him when he did. He sighed, withdrawing his hand and watching as Bra walked back inside the room. The prince then turned to check on his son, when Goku suddenly appeared out of thin air right in front of him.

"Good morning, Vegeta!" Goku brightly greeted the startled prince.

"Shove your 'good morning' where the sun doesn't shine, Kakarot!" Vegeta angrily hissed.

"It's been raining for days now, so the sun isn't shining."

"…I despise you."

"Aw, you don't mean that-"

"If you're not here to tell me that the oversized broccoli sprout is healed-"

"Vegeta, that's a really mean thing to call Dende-"

"I'll show you 'really mean' when I rip an antenna off that Namek's head-!"

"Alright, relax! No, he's not healed, but we got a few of these," Goku said, smiling as he extended his hand out towards the prince. On his palm were three glorious Senzu beans, and Vegeta was overwhelmed with relief. Just as fast though, doubt settled in, and he frowned.

"The woman can use one, but will Trunks be cured of this virus if he takes one as well?"

Goku's smile disappeared. His eyebrows drew together as he looked at his friend seriously. "I don't know. But we can try it. Just have to be careful with the last one, you know. Try to save it, just in case."

"Hn." Vegeta took two beans out of Goku's hand, leaving one behind. "Take that one to Trunks. I'll go give one to Bulma."

Goku nodded, and then he disappeared out of sight again. Vegeta mumbled under his breath about that damn teleportation technique, but for the first time in days, he was finally feeling like luck was on his side. Hopefully, the tide was turning. Then his words to his daughter would be true. Vegeta wasted no time. He walked back into his wife's room, where a nurse was checking on her.

"Get out," he roughly ordered, fixing her with a glare that made her stop.

"But-"

"Don't make me tell you again."

The nurse looked uncomfortable stopping, but she didn't want to test the man who's temper was already a hot conversation topic among the nurses. Giving a sheepish nod, she excused herself with Vegeta's stare on her the entire way. As soon as she was gone, Vegeta went over and sat down at the edge of the bed. He massaged his forehead, willing back a headache, and then turned his attention to his wife. Slowly, he moved closer, and then removed her breathing mask. Very gently, he pulled her bruised jaw down to insert the magical bean. He then waited, leaning over her while he watched for any sign that the bean was working.

After some agonizing seconds, the prince concluded that she must not have swallowed it, when a look of pain flashed over Bulma's features. Vegeta leaned down and soothingly whispered in her ear, "It's alright. Just breathe. The pain won't last long. You're already healing. See?"

When he pulled away, her bright, clear blue eyes were looking up at him, much to his relief. "Vegeta? What happened?" she hoarsely asked.

"Car accident," Vegeta gruffly answered as he worked on removing the needles, electrodes, and bandages from his wife, being careful not to injure her. "Just got some senzu beans today."

"How long…?"

"Have you been here? Three days."

"Was it bad?" Bulma asked, struggling to remember the accident. Her memory was fuzzy, and the details weren't there yet. She reached out for her husband, and he gently helped her sit up. Bulma winced, looking down at herself. "Oh, holy crap. It all feels bad, even with the senzu."

"I'm not surprised. Your injuries were extensive, and your body isn't used to that kind of trauma. Here. Take half of another bean."

"No, it's okay. I can handle this. Plus, we should save it-"

"Woman, this is not up for a discussion. I need you to be at 100 percent right now. Take this."

Bulma examined herself a moment longer, and then looked up as Vegeta split the bean into two even halves. Only then did she really get a good look at her husband, and her eyes filled with concern. Vegeta blinked when she suddenly reached out to him, grabbing his jaw and turning his head to examine him.

"You're exhausted. You haven't slept at all, have you?" It wasn't a question.

"I'm fine. Just take this."

Bulma's eyes were filled with scrutiny while she looked him over, and Vegeta felt exposed. He almost expected her to start drilling him on what he was hiding, but she let go of his face and reached for the bean instead. Vegeta retrieved her change of clothes that Yamcha had gotten, and by the time he handed the clothes to her, Bulma was finally healed.

"Where's Bra?"

"She's here."

Vegeta sat down right as his wife stood up to get dressed. He watched her numbly, wondering how to tell her about Trunks. Turning his head, he tuned everything out as he reached out for Goku and Trunks. The boy's ki was higher and his energy was stronger. Not sure what that meant, he mentally prodded the younger Saiyan.

_Did it work?_

_Crap, Vegeta! You scared the heck outta me._

_Well? Did it?_

_He looks better, and he's sitting up now. Still weak for his standards though. I don't think he's cured. Krillin went to ask for more blood work to be done to see if the virus is gone._

Vegeta looked visibly deflated. He barely managed to send back an indifferent sounding- _Alright._

_And Bulma? Feels like she's fine now._

_That's because she is._

With that, Vegeta stopped making himself receptive, doing the mental equivalent of slamming a door in Goku's face. The prince sat there in silence, zoned out and unaware that Bulma was speaking to him directly. It was only when she touched his shoulder that he noticed.

"What's going on, Vegeta? And don't tell me it's nothing," Bulma said, looking down at him in worry.

_A powerful enemy from my past that survived and wants revenge is here, and I can't sense them, nor do I have any idea how to stop them. I also wasn't sure you were going to live long enough for us to heal you. Oh, and our son might be dying too_. _Nothing bad at all._

Blunt and to the point. That was always his style, and yet, his mouth couldn't form the words. He struggled with it for a moment, and then he pulled his wife towards him, burying his face against her stomach. Bulma's concern intensified tenfold with his rare gesture, but she didn't press him for answers. Not that second anyways.

Instead she held him against her, massaging the back of his head with one hand, lightly scratching the top of his head through his hair with her other hand. Giving him strength where he'd been lacking. Reminding him silently that he wasn't alone. It was exactly what he'd been missing. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her feminine scent.

"You could have died, Bulma," he said, so quietly that she almost didn't hear him. Bulma slid one hand down under his chin and gently tilted his head back so she could look him in the eye.

"I'm right here, sweetheart. So don't dwell on the 'could haves'. I'm here and I'm okay now."

After a few seconds, Vegeta nodded and stood up, making Bulma take a small step back. She looked him over, and worriedly asked, "It's the kids, isn't it? Did something happen?"

"They're both fine for the moment. Let's get some coffee downstairs and sit down. We have a lot to talk about," Vegeta grumbled, gathering up the stack of paper his father-in-law had printed.

"Alright," Bulma relented, following closely behind him, putting a hand casually on his lower back. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like this conversation, not one bit…

* * *

Goten was silent as he watched his best friend. Trunks was sitting up, staring down at his tray of hospital food. He hadn't touched it, and he was wearing a look of intense concentration that made him the mirror image of his father. But it was the way Trunks' eyes were suspiciously darting about the room that was making Goten nervous.

"So your mom is healed up. I could feel her energy spike. That's great news, huh? I guess Vegeta's telling her what's been going on."

For no reason Trunks could place, just hearing his father's name made him feel sick to his stomach. He frowned in confusion, not able to understand the sudden rush of animosity towards Vegeta. That feeling hadn't been there last night, the last time he'd seen his father.

"I guess," he muttered.

"It'll be good for your dad, I think. He's been stretched thin-"

"Right," Trunks angrily interrupted.

"Trunks? Are you okay-"

"You hear that?" Trunks whispered, looking to his left as though spying an invisible enemy. Goten sucked at his teeth a little. His hearing and his ability to detect ki was just as good as the older teenager's, but there was nothing there. His hope that Trunks was cured was diminishing by the minute.

"I didn't hear anything," Goten finally answered. "Why don't you eat something? Your mom will probably be in here soon after she talks to your dad. And you know you won't be able to eat while she's fussing over you," he lightly joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Trunks looked over at him, giving him a skeptic look. "You seriously don't hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The voices."

Goten tried not to look worried. Without thinking about it, he adjusted the mask over his nose and mouth and cleared his throat. "Voices?"

"They're so fucking loud," Trunks sneered, angrily picking up a fork and driving it into his food. "How the hell are people supposed to heal around here with those idiots going on like that?"

"Trunks…I think that stuff might just be in your head-"

"It's not. I'm _not _crazy, Goten. I know what I'm hearing."

"What are you hearing?"

"They want me to kill him."

Goten blinked a few times in shock. "Wait, _what_? Kill who?"

"Yeah, they want me to kill some dude I don't even know. Man, Goten. Maybe I am crazy," Trunks grumbled, looking back down at his tray. "I feel weirder now than I did before your dad gave me the damn bean. Like something's in my head, and I can't get it out."

"You're not crazy, Trunks. It's the virus. Krillin and the doctor already said so."

"But the burn on my temple is gone."

"Yeah, but the symptoms are worse."

"Hn."

The two boys fell into silence, with Goten watching his friend closely. He had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"You think I planned this? I didn't plan this," Tyler hissed into his cell phone. He forced himself to look nonchalant, peeking out of the corner of his eye towards the hospital cafeteria. At the far corner, the world-renowned engineer Bulma Briefs was sitting with her husband. There were two untouched cups of coffee on the table, a slew of papers spread out. They were both conversing quietly, looking every bit as stressed as they both felt. Occasionally, Vegeta would point at something so Bulma could read it.

Tyler looked away, listened for a moment, and then responded, "I had no idea they were here, but I think they know something. They're looking up information about me…yes, her husband is here," he added in a dark tone. "What should I do?"

Tyler turned away when Vegeta suddenly looked up right in his direction. Very casually, Tyler picked up his own cup of coffee and walked back out of the cafeteria in the direction of his post. "But what if this is fate? You have to admit, the timing is incredible," he whispered into his cell phone. "We didn't get it done long ago. Don't we owe it to ourselves to try again?"

He paused by the elevator as he heard the response given. Shaking his head, he added, "When will we ever get this kind of opportunity again? Both kids are here. Yes, Trunks and Bra are _both _here."

Tyler took a deep breath, and stepped into the elevator while everyone stepped out. "They're stronger now than they were back then. I can feel it. But I'll handle it. I'm stronger too."

He then flipped his cell phone closed, and pressed the button for the basement.

"What do you mean, you couldn't fight them?" Bulma asked in bewilderment. "You're one of the strongest beings in the entire universe!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Vegeta growled, leaning back in his seat. He rubbed his forehead while he grumbled, "I've never seen those types of powers before. They're either the fastest warriors I've ever met, or their physiology lets them convert from solid to air and back."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know."

"Aren't you saying that they're survivors of a purge? What kind of aliens were you killing?"

His voice rose until he was yelling, "I don't know! I don't fucking know, Bulma!"

"Okay, alright, let's calm down and get to basics," Bulma said, taking a deep breath and rubbing Vegeta's arm. She then clicked her pen on the table and started scribbling down on the back of a sheet of paper. "First, I'm going to get a hold of the best doctors on this side of the planet and the best biomedical research teams to get me a damn cure to this Code V virus. Then they'll be able to help Trunks, and everyone else who is sick. Cost doesn't matter. And we're bringing Trunks home with us today. I'll hire a medical team for him."

"Fine."

"What else?"

"I need something that will help me preserve my ki. They must have some kind of device that drains it. If I'm going to fight this enemy, I need my ki."

"Okay. I think I know how to do that. That shouldn't be too hard," Bulma said, biting her bottom lip while she scribbled it down. "What else?"

"This Xhao family. There's something weird going on with them. We need more information than what your father gave."

"I'll see what I can do. Oh, and Bra needs to go back to school."

"No," Vegeta fiercely responded, leaning forward. "From now on, you and the children stay at home where I am. None of you will leave without me or one of your idiot friends accompanying you. No exceptions."

"Vegeta, Bra needs to go to school. She can't stay at home while we try to help her sick older brother. Trunks has a terminal virus, he doesn't have the flu, you know!"

"I don't care. She can catch up on her damn work later. She stays home and that's final," Vegeta tersely answered.

"It's not about the _work_, Vegeta!" Bulma snapped. "She's in Kindergarten, for heaven's sake! It's about letting our five-year-old daughter get away and be with other kids!"

"I said no-"

"Hey guys," Gohan greeted politely, taking a seat next to Vegeta with a tray overflowing with sandwiches. "Mind if I join?"

"No, it's fine. I'm going to check on the kids anyways," Bulma sighed, standing up. "I have to talk to the doctors about discharging Trunks so we can take care of him at home."

"I know he'll be happy to see you," Gohan said, giving her a strained smile. Bulma gave him one back, and then put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder for a second, before heading up to see her kids. Vegeta didn't react to the contact, staring absently at the sandwiches placed in front of him. Gohan nudged the tray closer to the prince. "Hungry?"

Vegeta shook his head, and looked away. "What the hell do you want, boy?"

Gohan hesitated a second, and then leaned his forearms on the table. His voice was quiet when he spoke. "Listen, Vegeta. I talked to Dende for a while today, and I don't like what he had to say."

"What?"

"He said that the alien vibe he was getting before is still getting stronger. But get this…he can't feel a life force behind it."

"Not newsworthy. I already know that we can't detect the ki of whoever this is. Must be some kind of machinery, like an advanced android."

Gohan frowned and leaned in closer to the prince as he whispered, "Dende told me an old, ancient Namekian legend about spirits that linger when they've had a violent death. Vegeta, he says this type of power can't be physical. He thinks it's all spiritual-"

"What do you mean, _can't be_ _physical?_" Vegeta asked in disbelief, turning to glare at the man next to him. "Let me remind you, boy, of what those _spiritual _beings did to me and my son. It's all physical."

Gohan nodded. "Yeah, but according to Namekian legends-"

"Fuck Namekian legends. You're either alive or you're dead. This enemy is either alive and powerful, or it's a machine and powerful. One or the other."

"Well, I hope you're…Vegeta?" Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow when Vegeta leaned back in his seat and looked off to the side in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"You smell that?"

Gohan sniffed a bit, cocking his head to one side. "Yeah, a little bit. It smells like-"

"Fire." Vegeta stood up, looking around frantically. No one else seemed to notice, but the smell was unmistakable. He turned to the hybrid Saiyan next to him. "Get your father, and have him transport everyone out of here right now."

"But-"

"JUST DO IT!" Vegeta screamed in his face, drawing attention to them. Gohan nodded and closed his eyes, reaching out for his father who was upstairs keeping Bra and her grandparents company. Meanwhile, Vegeta was already striding out of the cafeteria, taking in everything around him. No one was panicked. The electricity was still on. Very subtly, the Saiyan flashed a sparkle of blue ki between his fingers. His ki was still there. Nothing seemed wrong.

But his intuition said otherwise. There was that smell of smoke. It was faint, but unmistakable…

Downstairs, in a dark, deserted supply closet, Tyler Xhao fearlessly slashed his forearm with a butcher knife. He held his arm over a burning fire, letting the blood drip down into it. Chanting under his breath, Tyler took some of the blood and smeared it over the hair on his bare chest, and then on his face. Reaching down by the disactivated fire alarms, he reached for three fresh sheets of paper, still warm from being printed. The first one he grabbed had Bra's picture on it. He crumpled the picture, and threw it into the fire.

Tyler held his hands over the flames, and they turned blue.

Bra immediately staggered backwards, as though shocked. She fell sitting down, her eyes wide in shock as Goku and her grandparents all suddenly looked over at her. Goku rushed over, kneeling down next to the little girl in concern.

"Bra, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," Bra whimpered, tears coming to her eyes as she looked directly at Goku. Tears that were from terror rather than any kind of pain. "But they're mad now, Goku."

"What? Who's mad?"

"The person right behind you," Bra whispered. Goku spun around, but didn't see anyone there. He tilted his head in confusion, looking back at the little girl in front of him.

"Sweetie, no one else is here," Bunny kindly said, trying to soothe her granddaughter who was practically shaking with fear. Bra latched onto her quickly, tears streaming down her face.

"Get us out of here, Goku," Dr. Briefs ordered, almost right as Gohan's mental command came in. Goku nodded, gathered up the little family, and they disappeared.

Meanwhile, Goten stood up in Trunks' room. "Aw, shit," he muttered, going over to the door and peering out. There was chaos on the other side of that door as the terminal Code V patients started screaming and physically fighting off their doctors. "We need to get out of here. I have a bad feeling about this place."

"I can't," Trunks whispered from behind him. Goten turned back towards his best friend in surprise. The older teenager was sitting up and tightly gripping his bedsheets, his eyes squeezed shut. Bulma was sitting next to him, wearing the proper protection to not catch his virus. Still, she was rubbing his back, looking at her son in concern.

"It's alright, Trunks. We're leaving, and Goku can teleport you out. I'm sure he's already working on that."

"He is," Goten confirmed. "My brother already let me know that we're all getting out of here. He says there's a fire or something like that."

"I can't let him do it," Trunks whispered as he slowly rotated his head to crack his neck.

"Trunks, we all have to leave this hospital right now," Bulma slowly told him, not liking the way her son was acting one bit. It was like it wasn't even him. "Remember what happened at West City Hospital? We'll all be safer at home, okay?"

"I have to kill him," Trunks hissed through clenched teeth. He was twitching, trying to keep his ki down but it was beginning to rise. Bulma and Goten exchanged startled looks, and then looked back at Trunks. "That son of a bitch is going to fucking ruin everything. He has to die."

"Trunks, sweetie, look at me," Bulma desperately urged, reaching out to touch her son. The teenager was delirious in her mind; clearly, she had underestimated just how sick he really was.

But just before she could touch him, Trunks violently lashed out at her, aiming directly for her throat. He would have seriously injured her if Goten hadn't instantly intervened. Bulma didn't see any of it happen before both teenagers were brawling on the floor. Trunks immediately mounted Goten, straddling his chest and pinning him down while brutally choking him. Both teenagers ascended instantaneously, bright golden light exploding in the room. Goten thrashed violently underneath Trunks, and out of desperation, he put up his hands near Trunks' ribs and gathered up ki to fire.

Goku suddenly appeared before Goten fired, immediately grabbing Trunks and easily throwing him right off Goten. Goten gasped for air, and quickly sat up, looking over to Bulma to make sure she was fine.

"What do you think you're doing, Trunks?" Goku demanded. His eyes widened when he saw Trunks stand and turn to face him. Where his eyes should have been teal, they were instead a piercing shade of red. Goten and Bulma both looked on, frozen in shock. The genius president of Capsule Corp felt like she was about to faint when she saw her son's eyes.

"You think you can save him?" Trunks sneered, flashing red ki on his right hand in warning. "Righteous hero, thinking that you can save anyone you want, hm? Well, not this time. We've worked too hard for too long to fail now."

"Trunks, what-?"

"And that idiot downstairs?" Trunks laughed, and it had never sounded so completely callous. Goku was suddenly reminded of Vegeta, the first time he had battled the prince over twenty years ago. Trunks flashed a bloodthirsty smile. "He was warned, but since he wants to be a hero too, he's already good as dead-"

Downstairs, Tyler Xhao threw a picture of Trunks Briefs into the fire, turning the flames red. The effect was immediate as a look of pain suddenly came over Trunks' face several stories above that fire. The teenager staggered a little bit as his ki died down, and then he fell to his knees. He was shaking, and Bulma was at his side almost instantly. Goku's eyes narrowed when Trunks looked up, and his eyes were their normal blue.

"Goku?" Trunks weakly asked.

"It's alright, guys. Let's just get out of here," Goku said, watching Trunks carefully as Goten and Bulma grabbed onto him.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Vegeta was experiencing a rush of déjà vu. Everyone was now running in a panic, trying to get some patients under control, and trying to keep others calm. Gohan was trailing the prince closely, never lagging more than two feet behind him. They both stopped when Vegeta finally found a door that led downstairs to the lower levels. The prince violently kicked the door in, and they were both greeted by a rush of smoke.

"Well, that's where the fire is, alright!" Gohan yelled as he coughed.

"Goddamnit," Vegeta hissed, holding his arm up to protect his eyes. He tried to peer through the thick black smoke. "There are people down there!"

"We have to get out of here, Vegeta! The fire is spreading and some patients are out!"

"Someone started this fire, and it was probably the enemy we've been looking for!" Vegeta yelled, distinctly remembering the silhouettes he saw in his last hospital fire.

_Well, you're not besting me this time, you bastards, _he mentally snarled, before charging right into the smoke stairwell. Gohan responded immediately, following after the prince. Both of them rapidly ascended, using their Super Saiyan powers to force some of the smoke away from them.

Meanwhile, Tyler was running for his life. He got to a door and tried opening it to escape the fire that had spread beyond his control, and the shadows that felt like they were on his heels. Lights exploded around him, and he protected his head, banging his shoulder against the door to open it. It wouldn't budge. Tyler backed up and charged right at it, barreling through the door. Panting, he raced down an empty hallway, the smoke stinging his eyes while he heard screaming around him. He practically hurled himself against an emergency exit door, and moments later, he landed on the concrete outside of the hospital.

Tyler looked over his shoulder frantically, and swallowed heavily when he saw nothing there. It was still pouring outside, and he slowly got up to his feet. Turning back to the hospital, he sighed in relief. He hadn't finished what he wanted to do, but he'd done enough.

Slowly, Tyler turned around to get in his car and go back to his safe haven, when the glass windows of the hospital facing him all shattered. He barely had enough time to turn around before terminal Code V patients were literally lunging out of the windows to get their hands on him. The first patient landed on him, making Tyler fall down on his back with so much force that he almost broke his back. Tyler screamed in agony as he was swarmed by patients that started savagely beating him, giving him a beating to silence him permanently.

Vegeta and Gohan both heard dozens of people screaming, but no one was screaming the bloody murder that Tyler was screaming. They were spun towards that direction, and then gave each other looks. The prince in particular knew that kind of scream. He'd heard it millions of times before. Someone was dying at the hands of someone else.

"Get these other people out of here, Gohan!" Vegeta yelled, and then he took off towards the hoarse screaming.

Vegeta was outside of the hospital a second later. He watched the gory, violent murder that was unfolding for another second in stunned horror. The Saiyan hadn't seen such a degree of violence in so long that it briefly froze him. The shock quickly wore off, and hardened determination settled over his features. Raising up his hands, Vegeta started firing rapid ki blasts, killing every human participating in the murder. It only took two seconds for him to single-handedly end the massacre.

The prince quickly jogged over to the bloodied, broken mess of a man lying on the concrete. He examined him to see if he could be saved, but every part of his being froze when he saw the man's ID clipped onto the front of his pants. Vegeta squatted down and snatched the ID. His face reddened in anger as he looked up at the face of the dying man.

"It's you," Vegeta hissed, restraining himself from strangling the man to death himself. "You're Tyler Xhao. You know what's going on, don't you, you worthless son of a bitch?"

"Fuck you, Saiyan," Tyler slurred, trying not to choke on his blood. His brown eyes though were glittering with a hatred the likes of which Vegeta hadn't seen since the days he worked for Frieza. "This is all, your fault. They're here, because of you."

"Who is _they_?"

"Go to hell!"

Vegeta's patience snapped, and he mounted the man the same way Trunks had done to Goten. And just like his son had done, the prince wrapped one tight hand mercilessly around his throat. Tyler started choking as Vegeta sneered, "I will make your death more painful than it already will be, now ANSWER me! What the fuck is going on?"

"They're already dead - you killed them," Tyler painfully wheezed. "The virus, gives them strength. They can possess. They can drain energy. No cure. Just getting stronger."

Vegeta's brow furrowed. He loosened his grip. "What the hell do you have to do with it?"

"Going to kill, millions, with the virus. Just to kill you. I saw it happen, before you even came. You deserve to die, you evil bastard, but…your family…and my family…" He suddenly started to sob, his tears mixing with his blood.

"Vegeta!" Gohan's voice sounded out from behind him as he ran towards them.

"How do I make them stop?" Vegeta demanded, ignoring him. Tyler was shaking and hyperventilating underneath him, and in desperation, Vegeta put a hand on his chest, trying to feed the dying man his own ki. He needed him to live long enough to get as much information out of him as possible. But the thick smell of blood in the air told him that it was probably too late. Not to mention, humans just weren't as receptive to ki as Saiyans were. Vegeta roughly shook him and desperately yelled down, "How do I make them stop? Answer me!"

Tyler's mouth moved, but he started violently coughing up blood instead of answering. Vegeta leaned back, watching with mixed emotion as he choked on his own blood. He was severely regretting letting Bulma hang onto the last half of the senzu bean from earlier. Gohan came up kneeling next to him, looking down at the dying man. He tried in vain to save him, but they both sensed his energy drop as he finally died. Gohan leaned back, wiping the sweat off his forehead, before looking over at the prince.

"We need to get out of here," Gohan informed him, scanning the area around them. Blood and carnage surrounded them, and it was only a matter of time before someone stepped out and saw the bloody mess. Looking back over at the hospital, he grimaced when he saw that it was on fire. There were sirens already in the distance. Gohan then looked back at Vegeta, but he was still staring helplessly at Tyler's dead body. Gohan stood up, went over to the prince and grabbed him by the arm, lifting him up. Vegeta barely seemed to notice, and so Gohan gave him a rough shake.

"Vegeta, snap out of it! We have to get out of here!" he yelled practically in Vegeta's ear. The prince blinked a few times, and looked around, as though seeing his surroundings for the first time. Gohan tugged on his arm again, gesturing for them to fly. "Come on, let's get out of here. There's nothing more you can do here, okay?"

"You go, kid," Vegeta ordered, pulling his arm free. "I need to talk to Dende. Right now. Tell Bulma I won't be long, and to start on that list."

"For what?"

"I changed my mind. I'm curious now about Namekian legends…" Vegeta mumbled under his breath, right before he turned around and blasted off into the night sky, leaving Gohan behind.

The younger half-Saiyan looked up, watching him go. He sighed, blasting off himself in the opposite direction, heading straight for Capsule Corp. He silently wished the prince luck.

They were going to need it.


	10. Something to lose

Vegeta was standing on the edge of the Lookout, numbly staring out at the dark, cloud-filled sky. It was still pouring, but the rain was light from so high up. Dende was standing about a foot behind him, watching the prince closely and waiting for some kind of reaction. A few feet behind them, Piccolo was paying close attention to both of them, ready to intervene if need be. He and Dende both knew the Saiyan was under a lot of stress, and neither liked the rough way Vegeta looked when he dropped in on them. Piccolo, in particular, was almost anticipating a violent breakdown. But instead, Vegeta had just listened in complete silence to what Dende had to tell him, not interrupting once. In some ways, his silence and lack of emotional response made Piccolo more uneasy than an episode of violence would have.

Dende was starting to feel that same unease, and so he broke the tense silence. "It's just a potential explanation. There might not be any truth to it, Vegeta."

Vegeta didn't respond for some time. He continued staring out, trying to ignore the defeated voice inside saying that maybe this was only a matter of time. His eyes lowered towards the planet down below as he thought of his family, but he quickly shook his head, forcing himself to focus. It was harder than he thought. He was tired and felt unnaturally weak. He hadn't eaten or slept in some time, and the effects were being exacerbated with his stress. But he wouldn't keep anything down right now, and sleep was going to be completely impossible, so it didn't matter.

"Alright. Tell it to me one more time, boy," Vegeta finally ordered, turning around to face Dende. He hadn't tuned in to everything the young Namekian had told him, zoning out as soon as he saw where the conversation was going. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. The prince crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "From the beginning."

Dende nodded back, and started again. "The elders always said that there must always be balance of good and evil in life. There must also be balance in death. After death, there is eternal afterlife – those who are good are rewarded, and those who are evil are punished, both for all eternity. Humans call it heaven and hell, but it's not quite so simple. There is a third realm, one between the physical realm of the living and the spiritual realm of the afterlife.

"You only went there if you were good in spirit, but you died a brutal and unjustified death at the hands of someone truly evil, in such a horrifying manner that your soul was robbed of peace. Instead of passing on to the afterlife, you would be sent to the other realm instead, where you would be allowed to wait as long as it took for your killer to die. If the killer murdered more in the same manner, the force would become stronger in this realm. The souls would unite in a powerful unity of vengeance. As soon as the killer finally died, the spirits would take the killer's soul into this third realm, and then torture and destroy the soul completely. The killer would be helpless to stop it. It's said to be a fate worse than being punished in the spiritual realm. It is violent and painful beyond anything we can imagine, so much that Guru used to call the spirits in this realm "dark avengers." The killer's soul would be destroyed, and then the spirits would have their peace. They would then pass on to the afterlife."

"Stop right there," Vegeta said, raising a hand as he shook his head. "Just stop. That doesn't make sense. If what you say is true, boy, then there would be _billions_ waiting for me upon my death, eager to have their revenge. But I've died twice and that didn't happen to me."

Dende took a deep breath as he tightened his grip on his staff. "The elders said that if you're evil and you get sent to the dark avengers, there is no hope for you. Your soul, your very essence, it's all destroyed. You can't be wished back with the Dragon Balls because there is no one to wish back anymore. Vegeta, you never went to that realm; if you had, you wouldn't be standing here right now."

"The only explanation for that, is that your precious Namekian elders were filled with bullshit," Vegeta growled, trying more to convince himself than Dende. "If it was all true, you would think that those I killed would have claimed me when I died. Two opportunities, and they failed twice? I find that hard to believe."

"Well," Dende awkwardly started, "One explanation is that the dark avengers could have chosen you and ended you each time you died, but they chose not to do so."

"That's ridiculous. Why the hell would they do that?"

"Legend has it that many centuries ago, one of the most powerful magic practitioners, a Namekian named Yona, managed to harness the necessary energy to break open the gate between the different realms, granting the dark avengers access to our physical plane. He wanted to use their strength to overthrow a tyrant who had conquered Namek. But it turned out that the spirits were so consumed with vengeance, that they started to possess innocents and even kill some of them to have it. Yona quickly closed the gates again, stopping their access to this plane. He put all of the necessary magic into a mineral.

"As the legend goes, anyone who knows the right magic could use the mineral's powers and open the gates again and let the dark avengers into our realm again. Because of the enormous ripple effects this could cause, the mineral was guarded and passed down through the generations. Some said it wasn't even on Namek anymore. Others said it never existed at all, that it was all made up. Many have tried to find this mineral, but none have succeeded. During Frieza's reign in particular, this legend was talked about and many devoted entire armies towards finding the mineral. The hope was that the dark avengers would cross over and destroy Frieza once and for all- Vegeta? Vegeta, are you alright?" Dende asked in alarm, looking the prince over. Vegeta's face was drained of color, and he looked moments away from collapsing. Somehow though, he remained standing.

"I'm fine," he barely managed to say. "Keep going."

"From what I am seeing happening on Earth, I think that the gates are open and these spirits have crossed over into our physical realm. And I think that it's possible this might have happened years ago. Yes, that makes sense. The only reason that you were spared in your previous deaths…was…well…"

"Spit it out!" Vegeta snarled.

Dende swallowed. "In their realm, time and place don't exist. They see everything from the past and from the future when they're in that realm. If they had taken you before, your soul would have been destroyed. I think they let you go each time, because they saw into your future. 99 percent of those who die can't come back to life, but you are in the special 1 percent, Vegeta. You are one of the few fortunate souls to know the magic of the Dragon Balls. They saw what would happen without their involvement. They saw that you would come back to life and eventually have a family. With access to our realm, they could afford to wait until-"

"They waited until I had something to lose."

"Vegeta," Dende sighed. "This is just my guess as to what's going on. We don't even know if these legends are true. I just thought it might explain-"

"Frieza thought they were true. He must have known that others were seeking this mineral to destroy him. He was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid. The legends must be true."

"How do you know?"

"Because," Vegeta reluctantly began, "He sent me to get him that mineral."

"What?" Piccolo and Dende both said at the same time. Piccolo finally stepped up closer to the other two. "Are you sure it's the same thing?"

"I'm sure. I remember we had many purges to complete, but he canceled them all and sent me, Nappa, and Raditz to a planet to retrieve an ancient, holy mineral. It had been guarded there in secret for centuries. He gave us new space pods, new scouters, and told us that we would have back up immediately if we needed it. First and last time he ever offered _anyone _that. He must have known others were trying to use it against him, and decided to find it first."

"Did you find it?" Dende eagerly asked. "If you didn't, perhaps we could find it now. Travel there and locate it-"

"I found it and delivered it personally to Frieza."

"Well, what did he do with it? Did he use it?" Piccolo demanded.

"I don't know."

"How do you not-"

"I don't know!" Vegeta shouted in frustration, turning away from both Namekians. He ran one hand up through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to think. But it was too long ago. He barely remembered what the mineral even looked like, much less what was done with it after he gave it to Frieza. The prince growled a little. "I can't remember. Just tell me how to stop it."

"How to send them back to their realm?"

"Yes."

"Only the being who opened the gates can close them again. Or the dark avengers can leave whenever they wish. But it's likely they won't leave until, well-"

"Until they've killed me and my family. They won't leave until that happens. Until then, we're just sitting targets, and there's no way for me to fight back and protect mine. Is that what you're telling me?" Vegeta growled, settling both hands loosely on his waist, his back still towards the two Namekians.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta," Dende regretfully said.

"There are still things we can do. We'll try to contact the kais and see if they can help, or give us guidance," Piccolo offered. "If need be, perhaps we can visit New Namek and speak to some of the elders there. They might know more about these legends than Dende."

"Right," Vegeta quietly responded, back to staring out over the edge of the Lookout.

"Keep hope, Vegeta," Dende urged. "There must be a way to stop this. It's upsetting the balance of nature-"

"Shut up. Just shut up!" Vegeta suddenly yelled as he spun back around. He grabbed Dende roughly by the front of his cloak and hauled him over so they were face to face. Piccolo tensed and took a step forward, not liking the unsteady flare of Vegeta's ki as the Saiyan yelled, "Don't talk to me about hope! My family is being targeted, and I can't do shit about it!"

"Vegeta-" Piccolo started, but he froze when the prince raised his free hand in his direction, and it started to glow with ki.

"We'll figure something out, okay?" Dende gasped, having flasbacks to the terrifying Saiyan prince who had traumatized him when he was smaller back on Namek. "We'll figure something out, I promise!"

"You better," Vegeta snarled, before throwing Dende back into Piccolo, making the two Namekians crash hard into each other. They both fell back to the floor of the Lookout, but by the time Dende sat up again, Vegeta was gone.

"That was foolish," Piccolo chastised heatedly, glaring at Dende as they both got back up to their feet. "Why would you make Vegeta a promise you have no idea you can keep?"

"He needs hope, even if he doesn't know it. Hope will keep him together, which is what we need until we figure things out. This planet is already dealing with alien spirits. It won't survive Vegeta's wrath too."

"You're talking about Vegeta going on a purge of Earth? This is his home planet now. His family lives here. He's changed," Piccolo argued. "He's not the same man."

"I know he's not. But if the legends are true, then these spirits have waited for the sole purpose of making their vengeance as painful as possible on him – and there's only so much anyone can take."

"Yes, which is why we should start trying to figure out how to stop this before things get worse."

Dende nodded, turning back and following Piccolo, his grip tight on his staff the whole time.

* * *

"But I feel fine now," Trunks protested, weakly trying to shrug out of Goku's firm grip on the back of his neck. He couldn't break it though, and so he had no choice but to walk.

"I'm sure you do, Trunks, but what I saw back there wasn't normal, and I don't like it one bit. So you're going to get checked out and I won't hear another word about it," Bulma countered as she led the way to the infirmary. "Since someone keeps insisting on burning down every damn hospital we go to, you're just going to have to stay here."

"Your ki does feel a lot better, Trunks, so that's a great sign. Maybe you're starting to come around and heal from that virus," Goku offered.

"I don't care, I'm just tired of being treated like a patient."

"You'll stop being treated like a patient when you start feeling better," Bulma said as she opened a door for them with one hand, her other hand holding a breathing mask over her face. "Now come in here, and I have one of the top doctors in this virus coming over as we speak, Dr. Robinson. I already talked to him, and he's on his way. There's a nurse working, Myra I think. In case I'm not down here, she's already been instructed to let the doctor in through the southeast entrance. Goku, can you stay with Trunks until the doctor comes, or I come back down, whichever is fastest? I'm going to take care of Bra and a couple more things, then I'll be back."

"Sure thing."

Trunks grumbled his displeasure under his breath, but Goku steered him ahead into the room. Bulma watched them for a second, and then turned and headed back the way she came, tossing out the mask on the way. She was trying to keep it together, but it was difficult. Especially when her husband had suddenly gone M.I.A. She frowned, cursing under her breath a little. Her parents and some of her friends had stuck around for a bit, but they had already left under the assumption that Vegeta would be there soon. She hoped he would be, because she needed his help. She wanted to be with Trunks, but she didn't want to bring Bra close to him in case she also came down with the virus. And she sure as hell didn't want to leave her little daughter alone.

When she finally walked into the living room, she caught sight of Bra and Goten sitting on the floor, both holding a set of cards. The teenager had always been polite and kind to his best friend's little sister, but Bulma could tell that Goten was barely going through the motions in the small game he was playing with Bra. He was extremely distracted, so much that it took a few seconds until he realized Bulma was there. When he did though, he immediately shot up to his feet.

"How's Trunks doing? Is he feeling better?" Goten asked in a rushed breath.

"Yeah, he's feeling better. Your father's with him and we're going to take what happened back at the hospital very seriously, so don't worry. Do you want to see him?"

Goten opened his mouth to respond when Bra whined, "But we're in the middle of a game, Mommy!"

"Oh, right," Goten said, turning back to the little girl. He scratched the back of his head a little, before smiling. "I'm definitely going to finish our game, Bra, don't worry. I'll see Trunks after that."

Bra beamed at his response, and then turned her attention to her mother. "Can I see Trunks later with Goten? Please? I haven't seen him in so long!"

"I know you haven't, sweetie. We'll see, okay? I'm going to see if I can order some food for lunch…" Bulma's voice trailed off as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Goten and Bra fell back into silence, each studying their hand of cards. Goten was trying to decide which one to pick, when Bra quietly spoke.

"Goten…can I ask you something?"

"Sure thing," Goten answered, frowning as he kept his eyes on his cards.

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

Goten looked back up, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. He hesitated briefly in answering, his first thought going to Kegan Xhao and everything Trunks had told him about her. A chill went down his back, but he forced it away.

"No. You shouldn't either. People just tell you that stuff to scare you."

Bra nodded. "That's what my daddy said when I asked him once."

"Vegeta's pretty smart. He knows what he's talking about."

Bra was studying the cards in her hands, going over what Goten said. But at the thought of Vegeta, the little girl suddenly remembered something else. She put down her cards (facedown, so Goten wouldn't cheat), and then stood up.

"I'll be right back, Goten. Don't move! I'll be right back!"

"Okay," Goten laughed a little.

Bra ran into the kitchen, where her mother was sitting at the table on the phone. Bulma didn't look happy, and so Bra stayed quiet as she came closer.

"He went to see Dende? For what? Uh huh…I see…hold on a second, Gohan," Bulma said when she caught sight of her daughter. Covering the earpiece, she leaned down to the little girl. "Baby, I'm having a very important conversation with Gohan right now, so can you hang tight just a few more minutes?"

"Oh, I just had to give you this, that's all!" Bra brightly said, handing Bulma a rumpled yellow napkin. Bulma took it in confusion. She had barely opened her mouth to say thanks when her daughter had already raced back out of the kitchen, eager to resume her game with Goten. Bulma sighed and turned her attention back to her phone call.

"No, don't worry about it, Gohan. Your dad and your brother are here, that's enough. Thanks for letting me know about Vegeta, I'm sure he'll tell me what's going on when he gets here. Thanks, I will, bye." Bulma hung up the phone and absentmindedly opened the yellow napkin in front of her, debating whether or not to have a smoke before checking on Trunks.

Two seconds later, Bulma was in the living room, interrupting the card game that was in progress.

"Goten, why don't you go check on Goku and Trunks? I need to talk to Bra."

"But Mommy, our game!" Bra whined.

"It really won't take long to finish-" Goten started to add in, but when he saw the look Bulma gave him, he immediately put the cards down and got up. "I mean, yes ma'am."

Bra was pouting as she watched Goten leave. Bulma paid that no mind as she sat down on the sofa, reaching down to her daughter's arm. Gently but firmly, she pulled the little girl up so she was standing right in front of her.

"Bra, I want you to tell me right now, who gave this to you and why," Bulma ordered, showing her daughter the same napkin she had just given her.

Bra shifted awkwardly a little. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, you're not. But you will be if you don't tell me the truth," Bulma answered. She was deeply bothered by the fact that she didn't recognize the handwriting on the napkin, which meant someone outside of her circle had approached her little girl and tried using her as some kind of messenger to get to her. She always tried her best so shield her children from the pressures of her job, and she didn't like this new tactic, not one bit.

"I was in the hospital this morning, and I was hungry, cause dinner yesterday was, yuck. And I went to get breakfast, and then a man gave it to me."

"A man gave this to you," Bulma echoed, her eyes narrowing. "What man? What did he want? Where was your father?"

"Daddy came to get me and then he took me back upstairs. The man was nice. He talked to me, and he said to give this to you but not to tell Daddy about it."

"And did you tell Daddy?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Bra pouted. "Um…I forgot."

"Okay. That's okay. Do you remember if this man told you his name?"

"Um…Ty-something?"

"…_Tyler_?"

The lights in the living room suddenly flickered once, before going out completely, leaving them in complete darkness. Bulma looked up towards the ceiling and cursed as lightning struck outside. Bra whimpered a little when the flash from the lightning illuminated a silhouette standing right behind the sofa, looking right at her.

"It's okay, no need to be scared," Bulma said soothingly, thinking her daughter was getting upset over being in the dark. She hugged the little girl close. "The storm must've blown a fuse somewhere. No big deal. You want to come with me to fix it? You can hold the flashlight."

Too scared to speak, Bra just nodded as her mother stood up. Bulma tucked the napkin into the back of her jeans with one hand, took her daughter's hand with the other, and then they slowly started making their way out of the living room. Bra couldn't help but sneak a panicked glance back over her shoulder, but it was too dark to see anything now.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the medical wing, Goten was sitting by himself down the hall from where Trunks was. His father had briefly teleported out to check on Chi-Chi, and so he was sitting there. The doctor had arrived, and he had been asked to step out. The teenager was restless, waiting to hear how his friend was, when he was suddenly blanketed in darkness.

Goten blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to the dark. He frowned and raised his ki, until blue light softly surrounded him. When he did, he could have sworn he saw a shadow rapidly move out of the corner of his eye. Startled, the teenager quickly got up to his feet and sank into his fighting stance, his ki now ignited brightly around him. The hallway was illuminated completely now, and he couldn't see anything. The hallway was empty.

Suddenly, someone powerful grabbed Goten roughly from behind, practically tackling the teenage boy to the floor. Goten quickly flipped onto his back, raising one hand up into the face of his attacker, ready to blast someone's head off. He froze though, blinking a few times when he saw who was hovering over him.

A slow smirk spread over Trunks' face as he looked down at his best friend.

"Gotcha."

The word was barely out of Trunks' mouth before the lights turned back on. Goten was staring blankly at Trunks while the older teenager got off him, laughing while he did.

"What the hell, man?" Goten angrily demanded, sitting up while he glared at Trunks.

"What? You can dish it but you can't take it?" Trunks mockingly shot back.

Goten got back up to his feet, and looked his friend over carefully. "I thought the doctor was with you."

"He already left."

"He did?"

"Of course. He said I'm fine. No virus. See?" Trunks threw a small electronic device at Goten, who caught it effortlessly. "Healthy and strong. Lucky me, huh? Guess I'm going to live."

Goten's anger melted into confusion. On the device was a blood reading, and down below it was a place to insert a finger.

"I don't get it. What is this?" he asked in bewilderment.

"That's the test they give you to see if you have Code V. They just need a sample of your blood in case you're not showing physical symptoms. It also tells you how bad it is. Mine came up negative. Like I said – lucky me."

Goten shrugged awkwardly. It looked legit to him. He scowled when he saw blood on the bottom of the device. "What is this blood? Is this yours?"

"Yeah. They had to prick me a couple of times with that thing, just to make sure."

"Oh. He sure did get through with this quick," Goten said as his eyes skirted over to the side. "It's just weird, I didn't see him leave-"

"What's wrong, Goten? Not happy I'm not dying anymore?"

"It's not that. I just…you know, never mind. I'm glad you're okay now, Trunks."

Trunks smiled, and for some reason, Goten felt uneasy as his friend casually put his arm around his shoulders. "Now that's the spirit. Hey, tell you what. Why don't you go tell my mom that the doctor's cleared me? Show her that device, she knows my blood type and she'll know what I'm talking about. I need to check with the nurse real fast, but I'll be up soon. I'm sure my mom will be pleased."

Goten shrugged Trunks' arm off, and stared at his friend critically. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Of course I am. What the hell is wrong with you?" Trunks asked seriously, his eyes narrowing while he stared back.

"Nothing," Goten finally said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Trunks. Just, you know, after what happened this morning…I was just paranoid, I guess…"

"Paranoid is _right. _Maybe you should be the one getting looked at. For now, just go check on my mom and my sister, will ya?"

"Sure, sure. I'll see you upstairs?"

"Yeah, I'll be up in a few."

Trunks stayed still, silently watching Goten leave. When the other teenager was out of sight, his expression darkened with pure hatred. He turned around and walked back over to the room where he had been examined. He casually walked in, closing the door behind him.

As soon as he did, he almost fell back against the door, both hands going up to clench fistfuls of his hair. An internal battle was waged for control between a Saiyan hybrid and another teenage boy, one who had brutally died long before Trunks had been born at the hands of a certain prince. Except one had been severely weakened from the Code V virus, the only reason he had been inflicted with the disease. The struggle between the two was fierce – there was a voice furiously screaming in his mind, the voice of one very pissed off hybrid Saiyan, but with Tyler Xhao's death, there was no protection anymore. The voice was finally silenced, at least for the time being.

Trunks lowered his hands. His eyes were red when he opened them, and he smiled in satisfaction. Slowly, his gaze lowered to the two dead bodies in front of him, sprawled out on the floor. The doctor and the nurse, intent on helping him, had both been quickly but ruthlessly slaughtered by his hand and were now lying in pools of their own blood. The teenager raised his hands and stared down at them, marveling at the power he had. He had never felt such a thing. It was true that the body he was using had been cured of the virus. Vegeta's son had been weakened enough for the possession, and now the body needed to be strong to engage in the battle looming in the horizon.

Sooner or later, he would fight Vegeta again, just like he had so long ago, when he had desperately fought to protect his family from the ruthless prince in the midst of a purge. Vegeta had fought with him for a few minutes out of sport, before forcing him to watch as he slaughtered his entire family right in front of him, literally tearing them from limb to limb while saving him for last.

"_You know what to do,"_ a childlike voice whispered in his ear, making him smile more. Yes, he did know his task. It was to deal Vegeta a blow he would never recover from, to destroy him from the inside out.

He was going to force the prince into killing his own son.

* * *

"Are you _sure _you're okay?" Bulma worriedly asked later that evening, her hands on Trunks' face while she examined his blue eyes. "They said that there was no cure to this virus, and Dr. Robinson just said you were fine?"

"Yes. I feel great, I'm fine, Mom. You saw the results of the test."

"Well, I guess you are. You look fine," Bulma admitted, frowning in confusion. "I do wish Dr. Robinson would answer my damn calls though. Maybe it was your Saiyan genes, along with the senzu bean, that helped you, huh?"

Trunks smirked. "Have to _love_ those Saiyan genes. Speaking of…" he looked up at the ceiling. "Seems my father's home."

"Ugh, _finally_!" Bulma exhaled in relief. "I'll be back. Oh, you can tell Goten he can go home now if he wants to, since Vegeta's here."

"Of course," Trunks answered, watching silently as Bulma headed upstairs to greet her husband. He knew about the phone number she had, but the others would handle that. For now, he had other business. His expression darkened a little as he slowly turned to look over towards the living room, where Goten and Bra were both sitting on the couch, watching TV. Goten hadn't left, because Goku had made him swear he would stay, just in case. Slowly, Trunks went over into the living room.

"Goten," he greeted, easily adopting the speech of the teenager he was possessing. "My mom said you can go now. Besides, I'd like a word with my little sister alone, if you don't mind."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Vegeta's upstairs anyways," Goten reasoned with a shrug. He shot Bra a smile. "See you around."

"See you!" Bra brightly said, returning his smile.

Goten turned back to Trunks. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Text me and we'll hang out or something once all of this settles down."

"Of course, man."

Goten extended his fist for a fist bump, and Trunks returned it. Feeling much more at ease because of that, Goten gave brother and sister a last nod, and headed out. When he was gone, Trunks slowly walked over and sat down close to Bra. She barely paid him any attention, too absorbed in her television show. But she went cold with fear when her brother leaned over and whispered in her ear in a voice that belonged to Trunks, but in a much darker tone than Trunks ever used.

"I think we need to talk, little girl…"

Meanwhile, Bulma burst into her bedroom upstairs, ready to yell at Vegeta for having taken off so abruptly. It didn't take hours to talk to Dende, and she needed him right now. In particular, she wanted to share the phone number she had acquired. They had a lead, and maybe it would actually amount to something.

But there was no one there. Bulma frowned in confusion, and then went into the bathroom. Also vacant. She was wondering if Vegeta was in another room when she heard something out on the balcony. Emerging from the bathroom, Bulma finally saw her husband as he slid the screen door open and stepped inside.

"Vegeta! Where have…oh my god," Bulma whispered when Vegeta slowly looked up. He was leaning against the balcony doorframe, drenched from the rain. Most alarming to her though was the blood staining his clothes.

"I'm fine," he immediately said, scowling when she rushed over to him in concern.

"What the hell happened? Where is all this blood coming from? Where are you hurt?" Bulma asked worriedly, already having the top half of his shirt unbuttoned while she examined him.

"Woman, I said I'm fine," Vegeta growled, shrugging away from her. But Bulma was relentless.

"What do you mean, you're fine? Look at all this blood!"

"It's not mine," he tersely responded, finally walking into his own bedroom after a moment of regaining his strength. When he was met with loud silence, he glanced back at his wife. They made eye contact for a moment, and Vegeta's eyes darkened. "No, I did not go killing humans."

"The blood then?" Bulma prompted, easily holding his intense gaze. After a few seconds, Vegeta turned away and gave her his back.

"Animal," he replied while he slipped off his bloodied shirt. True to his word, there were no injuries marring him. "I just went on a hunt after I spoke with Dende. No more, no less."

"A _hunt_?"

"I needed…an out," he ground out, hating that he was even telling her this.

But it was true. He hadn't felt this type of stress in decades, and he had dealt with it in a manner dangerously close to how he dealt with stress back then. Knowing that his family wasn't going to be alone until his return, Vegeta had found himself hidden in the rafters of a high security prison, staring down at the lowest kinds of humans for hours. Those who had committed the worst crimes of the species. None worse than what he had done in his day, but yet, they were in peace compared to him. They didn't have the demons haunting them that he quite literally had. For hours he had contemplated killing every last one of them. They were all slated to die anyways.

Finally, Vegeta had left, and taken out his aggression on a few wild, untamed animals. But it wasn't the same satisfaction, and he had stopped almost as soon as he started. He ate some of the raw meat as though to give meaning to his violence, but he had vomited it back up soon afterwards. Even that had been a failure.

Vegeta turned back around when Bulma grabbed his arm and pulled him back. She didn't have the strength to force the movement, but he at the moment didn't have the strength to fight her. He braced himself for her anger, but was surprised when she hugged him instead. His bare skin was cold from the rain, but Bulma rubbed his back to give him some of her own warmth.

"I know what you're doing, Vegeta," she whispered in his ear. "The violence is an easy out. You're better than that, okay? We'll get through this together."

Not trusting his voice enough to speak, Vegeta said nothing. After a moment though, he put his arms around her and hugged her tightly to him. They stayed that way for a whole minute, in silence. It was only when Bulma felt his skin start to warm that she reluctantly drew back from him.

"I have good news," Bulma said while she massaged his muscular arms to give him more warmth. "Trunks seems to be cured of the Code V."

Vegeta blinked a few times, and his head snapped to the side. He had felt his son's ki, but hadn't thought much about it. Now he focused on it, and nodded his agreement. The boy was downstairs with his sister, and nothing seemed amiss.

"It feels fine now," he relented, confusion in his eyes. "But I thought there was no cure for that virus. Hasn't everyone died from it?"

"Yeah. Maybe it's his Saiyan genes, you know. I don't know, but he looks and sounds really good now. Of course we still have to keep an eye on him, but I feel really good about it."

"Hn," Vegeta grunted with indifference, but Bulma could feel his tense arms relax under her fingers.

"Also, I might've gotten a lead on Tyler Xhao."

"He's dead," Vegeta bluntly informed her, much to Bulma's surprise.

"What do you mean he's dead?"

"I mean what I say, woman. I saw him die in front of me at the hospital."

"Well, he somehow slipped this to Bra," Bulma said, pulling out the yellow napkin from her pocket and handing it to Vegeta. "I'm pretty sure it was him. I haven't called the number yet. I wanted to show it to you, see what you thought."

"Hn. I still don't understand what this Xhao family has to do with anything," Vegeta mumbled to himself, staring down at the phone number.

"What did Dende tell you?"

Vegeta opened his mouth to respond, when he and Bulma suddenly heard Bra scream for bloody murder downstairs.


	11. Striking first

Vegeta was downstairs instantly, leaving Bulma behind to race down the old-fashioned way. As soon as he reached the ground floor, the smell of blood took his breath away. Frantic now, the prince located his son first, sitting on the sofa in the living room and watching the television like he didn't have a care in the world. Vegeta was both confused and irritated by Trunks just sitting there and not responding to his sister, but he didn't have time to dwell. The boy looked fine and that's all that mattered for now. Vegeta quickly turned his attention to the matter at hand, which was his daughter who he could hear screaming and bawling. He easily pinpointed her location in the kitchen, and he immediately went in that direction.

"Bra!" Vegeta called out as soon as he entered the kitchen. "What's wrong-"

The smell of blood and death in the kitchen was potent, and it took his breath away, rendering him speechless. He would recognize the familiar smell until his dying breath, it had been so ingrained in him long ago. Still, it took a moment for him to react to the scene he had just walked in on. Sprawled out on the tiles of their spacious kitchen were two bodies, a male and a female, neither of which the prince recognized. One didn't need the background of a soldier to realize they were both dead. The blood pooling underneath them left no doubt.

But the only thing that mattered to Vegeta was the five-year-old girl standing between him and the bodies. When Bra's bawling broke into his concentration, he strode towards her. Without a word, he spun her around to force her to stop staring, and lifted her up into his arms. Not knowing what he could possibly say to her, he just rubbed her back while she sobbed miserably against the side of his neck. Vegeta took a deep breath, sparing the dead bodies a last glance before he turned around and walked back out of the kitchen.

Bulma was finally downstairs, out of breath from having raced down. Like Vegeta, she couldn't help but give her son a quick once-over before turning towards the kitchen. She stopped when her husband stepped out, carrying their young daughter in his arms. Vegeta made eye contact with her for a moment, before gesturing with his head towards the kitchen. Confused, Bulma slowly went in. She gasped, and then immediately turned back towards Vegeta and Bra.

"Oh my god," Bulma whispered, one hand going up to cover her eyes in shock as her face paled. "That's Myra, one of the nurses…"

"Bra saw," Vegeta bluntly informed her, bringing his wife's attention back to their daughter who was bawling so badly she was practically hyperventilating. He watched the different emotions that flashed through Bulma's eyes, the same emotions he was hiding. Finally, she broke out of her shock and quickly took Bra out of his arms, holding her tightly. Vegeta stayed close to them, one of his hands on his daughter's back and the other on Bulma's lower back. "Take her upstairs. I'll take care of this," he whispered quietly in Bulma's ear.

"Okay," Bulma shakily responded, more focused on trying to comfort the little girl in her arms.

Vegeta stayed still while he watched Bulma take Bra slowly back upstairs. When they were out of sight and his daughter's cries weren't as loud, he looked back towards the living room as his right hand tightened into a powerful fist.

Trunks was nonchalantly flipping through the channels when a furious hand landed on the back of his neck. He was forced up to his feet, and then the hand was suddenly gripped tightly around his throat. Trunks dropped the remote control, his blue eyes wide in shock at the sheer power he felt in Vegeta's grip. The prince roughly hauled him down so they were eye-level.

"You hear your sister scream and cry like that, and you fucking sit here and continue watching the television like nothing is going on?" Vegeta almost screamed in his son's face. A flash of hatred ignited on the teenager's face, as images went through his mind of the Saiyan prince as a young man, mercilessly slaughtering all of his young sisters right in front of him. He quickly forced the memories away, focusing on the present.

"What are you going to do?" Trunks angrily shot back, trying to claw Vegeta's hand off his throat when it started becoming painful. "Kill me because I asked the girl to get me a damn glass of water? Besides, I knew you would handle it!"

"You knew I would handle it?" Vegeta echoed in disbelief. "You…"

He took a deep breath, and the rage on his face turned into confusion. Vegeta's eyes narrowed and he breathed in again while Trunks glared back at him. After a few tense seconds, Vegeta's grip finally loosened on his son's throat. Trunks promptly reached up and shoved his father's hand off him.

"I'll tell you what I'm going to handle, boy," Vegeta finally said, while he suspiciously gave his only son a slow once-over from head to toe, then back up until they were making eye contact again. "I'm going to handle the mess in the kitchen, and you are going to help me do it."

"Fine by me," Trunks evenly responded.

Vegeta stared him down a moment longer, and then turned to head over the kitchen. Though he was giving his back to Trunks, he was still on full alert. The teenager was wearing no blood on his clothes, but the smell was all over him. Vegeta didn't want to think about what that meant, even though his intuition was whispering its suspicions, and his intuition had rarely ever failed him in life. He didn't want to even entertain the thoughts. He shot his son a glance over his shoulder when the dead bodies came into sight, trying to gauge a reaction. Trunks stopped walking and looked uncomfortable enough to put Vegeta's concerns to rest, for the time being.

Walking around the dead bodies, Vegeta finally squatted down next to the male. He was a blond man with green eyes that were wide open, staring sightlessly at nothing. Vegeta reached down, putting his hands around the man's head to examine him. Trunks remained where he was, watching the prince with keen interest. His blue eyes skirted over to the side when he heard a voice whisper in his ear, so only he could hear-

"_Vegeta suspects."_

Trunks scowled and shook his head silently in disagreement.

"_He does. End this soon. He has far too much energy and strength to drain for long, and it's taking too much energy to keep Vegeta's son at bay. You have to finish it tonight, before they get the chance to talk to Xhao."_

"He hasn't been dead for very long," Vegeta finally mumbled, oblivious to the scheming that only Trunks was receptive to. The prince was searching through the pockets of the dead man for some kind of identification. "I suspect the female hasn't either."

"I'm sorry," Trunks said, remorse in his voice. "If I had known these bodies were here, I wouldn't have told Bra…"

"You didn't smell it?" Vegeta asked, keeping his eyes on what he was doing. He finally pulled out a wallet and started leafing through it.

"No. My sense of smell hasn't been right for a while now."

"Is that a fact?" the prince mumbled disbelievingly.

Before he could stop himself, Trunks snapped, "Not everyone knows the smell of death like you do."

Vegeta suddenly looked up, his dark eyes unreadable as he stared at his son. "Yes. I suppose you're right," he slowly answered. Trunks held his gaze hatefully for some long moments. Of the two, Vegeta looked down first, going back to inspecting the dead man's wallet. Trunks finally stepped forward, going over to the fallen nurse to inspect her when Vegeta abruptly said, "Don't."

Trunks froze, and raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted my help."

"You can help by getting me a shirt. We'll preserve the bodies for now until we can wish them back with the Dragon Balls. In the meantime, I don't want to get more blood on me than I have to."

"But I can help. I don't care if I get blood-"

"I don't care what you fucking care about. Get me a shirt, and get it _now,_" Vegeta snarled at him.

"Of course. Right away," Trunks mockingly answered, before turning around to do just that. He froze when Vegeta called out to him again.

"Not upstairs. Go to the laundry room and get me a shirt that hasn't been washed yet," Vegeta ordered, staring a hole through his son's back.

"Whatever you say," Trunks sneered, barely able to keep himself in check. But he finally did as Vegeta requested, heading off in the opposite direction of the staircase.

As soon as he was out of sight, Vegeta tossed aside the wallet in his hands. Leaning down, he brought his face almost to the dead man's body, right over the man's chest. Closing his eyes, he breathed in. Slowly, he moved his nose over the man's arm, down to his fingers. Past the smell of a body beginning to decay was a smell the prince was all too familiar with. Vegeta opened his eyes and ran one hand up through his hair, shaking his head in disbelief. He stared straight ahead, trying to decide what to do now. His sense of smell never lied. With a deep breath and a heavy heart, he turned his attention in the direction Trunks had gone.

Unfortunately, it seemed his intuition was right.

A minute later, Trunks walked back into the kitchen, a blue polo shirt in his hand. "This was the only shirt that I…"

Vegeta wasn't there anymore. Trunks' gaze darkened as he dropped the shirt on the floor. Stepping over the bodies, he prowled the kitchen for a moment, trying to sense the prince.

"Dad?" he loudly called out, while opening a drawer of utensils. Digging around, he pulled out a large knife and slipped it underneath the long sleeve of his shirt. He hadn't fully tested the power inside this body, and even if he had, he knew Vegeta was still stronger than he was. Any small advantage counted. "Dad!" he yelled this time, but there was no response.

He concentrated, trying to make a connection with the others. He heard a childlike voice whispering in his ear but the words were lost to a sudden splitting pain in his head. Gasping, he reached up to his forehead, trying hard to keep Vegeta's powerful son from regaining control of his body again. The struggle was so fierce, he never heard the door that led outside quietly open and close behind him.

"Thanks for the shirt," Vegeta's rough voice cut through his pain. Startled, Trunks turned around, and had no time to react before Vegeta smashed his face hard with a steel shovel. The teenager fell down hard, coughing as his nose filled with blood, but he soon was straddled and pinned down by a furious prince.

"Who are you and what the hell have you done to my son?" Vegeta yelled, one hand wrapped tightly around the boy's throat.

"What're you doin'?" Trunks groggily asked, dazed from the blow and barely able to open one eye. "It's me-"

"Bullshit," Vegeta snapped. With one hand, he spun the shovel around and put the edge of it right over Trunks' throat. He moved his other hand down on Trunks' chest, firmly holding him down. "Your scent is all over these bodies, but my son would never kill innocent people without one hell of a provocation. I know your tricks and possession is one of them, so let my son go right now!"

"Or _what_?" the possessed Trunks spat out. "You'll kill me? You have it in you to kill your own son, Saiyan?"

"Try me," Vegeta sneered, pressing the edge of the shovel down on Trunks' throat threateningly.

"Go ahead then," came the mocking challenge. "Do it. But you can't kill me without killing your boy in the process. Can you live with that, Vegeta?"

"My son has nothing to do with the things I did," Vegeta seethed, staring down into red and hateful eyes. "You all want your revenge so badly, so be it, but leave my family out of it!"

A loud and mocking laugh erupted from the teenager. "How many families did you slaughter when you had no orders to do so? How many wives and children did you kill for sport? Now you want your own spared? That's not how things work, Prince." He leaned his head back, exposing more of his throat to Vegeta. "So go on. Kill me. I cannot come back again if you do, so it's your best decision. I will kill your wife and daughter if you don't, I guarantee it."

"We shall see about that," Vegeta growled, pulling the shovel back up with one shaking hand.

"A word to the wise. You will have to hit much harder with that weapon if you want to kill me with it. But then again, you already know that, I'm sure."

Vegeta exhaled slowly, his grip on the shovel handle tightening. He didn't need a weapon, but he didn't trust his emotions not to interfere with his control over his ki, not when the person in his sights was his own son. But even when he had struck the teenager down moments ago, he had held back. Even now, he held back still, unable to bring the shovel down with the force he needed to kill the boy. It was the first impulsive solution that came to mind, to kill him and then wish Trunks back. But this was one kill he could not do. The prince preferred to die than do that to his own son.

After almost ten seconds, Vegeta tossed the shovel aside. He put his hands on his son's shoulders, firmly holding him down. Leaning down closely, he examined Trunks' blood red eyes, trying to see past the hatred to find a glimpse of his son.

"If you can hear me, Trunks, I'm going to fix this," the prince finally swore. "I promise you, I'll fix this."

"Let's not get emotional now, that'll ruin the fun."

Vegeta blinked at the familiar words, words he often used long ago to mock families while slaughtering them. Before he could think of what to say or what to do, they both looked over to the side when they heard Bulma on the stairs.

"Vegeta? Trunks? Is everything alright?"

Vegeta started shouting, "Go back upstairs and stay upstairs-!"

The lights suddenly died, making Vegeta instinctively look up. In that split second that he was distracted, Trunks jerked his arm, forcing the knife to slide up until he grasped it by the handle. He tried to drive it into Vegeta's ribs, but the prince caught his wrist right before he could. Their hands trembled together for a few seconds, until Trunks used his other hand to punch Vegeta square in the face, hard enough to force his father off him completely.

Vegeta quickly scrambled up to his feet, frantically looking around. Unable to see anything, he tried sensing his son, but he couldn't feel the teenager. Finally, he tried raising his ki so he could get some light, but an all-too familiar pain ripped through his skull. He couldn't help the cry of agony that ripped itself from his throat; it took all his strength not to drop to his knees.

"Vegeta!" he heard an alarmed Bulma yell. "What the hell is going on down there?"

"Shit," Vegeta hissed under his breath, forcing his eyes to squint open. Shaking his head rapidly, Vegeta ran out of the kitchen, rushing up the staircase. Bulma was at the top of the steps, but before she could get out a word, the Saiyan grabbed her hand and practically hauled her with him, forcing her to sprint faster than she thought possible to keep up with him.

"Vegeta! What are you doing?" Bulma yelled as Vegeta took them back to their bedroom, where Bra was. The little girl was no longer in hysterics, but she was still sniffling, wrapped up in the comforters of her parents' bed. She sat up a little when Vegeta suddenly barged in with her mother in tow.

"I need to get you both out of here, right now," Vegeta urgently said, his mind already racing to think of what to do. But he couldn't do anything with Trunks with Bulma and Bra nearby. They were defenseless and could easily become targets. He couldn't take the chance. He briefly let go of Bulma's hand to reach over to his daughter.

"Wait, wait! What about Trunks?" Bulma asked worriedly. "We can't just go and leave him here!"

"Hush now, girl," Vegeta gently ordered his little daughter who was on the verge of tears again at the sight of her parents so flustered. "I need you to be strong right now, you hear me?" Bra nodded as he picked her up, holding her securely against him before turning back to Bulma. "Trunks is possessed. I can't help him with you two here, he's too much of a threat-"

"_What the hell do you mean, my son is possessed_?" Bulma shrieked. Bad enough that her little girl had been traumatized by walking in on two dead bodies. There was only so much a woman could take in regards to her children.

"Listen to me!" Vegeta growled, grabbing her roughly by the arm as he hauled her close to him, until their noses were almost touching. "Trunks is gone right now. I will help him when I can, but right now, I can't let him harm you two-"

"How touching. It's almost like you're actually a real family."

Vegeta and Bulma both spun around towards the door. It was dark in the room, but they could still make out Trunks' silhouette standing at the door. His red eyes were standing out in the darkness. Vegeta slowly handed Bulma their daughter, and then protectively pushed her to stand behind him.

"Bulma, call Kakarot while I distract him," Vegeta whispered. "Get him to teleport you and Bra out of here-"

"A decent plan, but you can't run from the dead, Vegeta. Even if you somehow escape this time, you can't run forever. You have no idea how many have waited for this, how long we have all waited. Besides, you can't make any calls without this communication device, am I correct?"

A bright blue light shined in the room, and Vegeta cursed when he recognized that it was coming from Bulma's cell phone. The light immediately disappeared as Trunks crushed the phone to pieces.

Bulma felt like it was only her daughter's weight that she was holding that was giving her the strength needed so she wouldn't pass out. As though sensing her overwhelming distress, Vegeta reached behind him and found her hand, tightly interlacing their fingers together.

"Trunks, if you can hear me, you _have_ to get control back," Vegeta urged, vividly remembering the time he went Majin. How it had felt with a foreigner invading his mind. That his son was facing – and losing – a similar battle, was almost more than he could stand to watch. He grit his teeth and shouted, "You're stronger than them!"

"I'm afraid that's not the case, Saiyan. Your son isn't strong enough, and sadly, neither are you."

Bright red light suddenly ruptured in the dark bedroom, forcing Vegeta to bring one arm up to protect his eyes. With his other arm, he instinctively pushed Bulma and Bra further back behind him. Red flames surrounded Trunks instead of his usual powerful golden aura. Though his hair was tinted gold, his eyes were still blood red. Trunks pulled back one hand, gathering up ki with more effort than it usually took him. It was then that Vegeta realized this vengeful alien still wasn't used to his son's true power. Now was the time. He had to strike first, strike fast, and most importantly - strike hard.

He took a quick glance back at Bulma, meeting her eyes. She didn't need to be telepathic to understand his silent message. Clutching Bra tighter, Bulma gave him a subtle nod.

Without warning, Vegeta suddenly charged straight towards Trunks. Lowering his shoulder, he barreled right into his son's chest as hard as he possibly could, tackling him right out the door and sending them both crashing through the hallway wall. The two didn't come to a stop until they landed in the living room, their combined weight destroying a coffee table and making the wood almost explode on impact.

Trunks hissed in pain, having absorbed almost the entire impact from their landing as concrete fell on them both. Vegeta immediately mounted him and struck him hard in the face with a shot hard enough to take a human's head off. Trunks struck back, hitting Vegeta hard with ki fueling the power behind the blow. With his ki intact, his shot was much harder than Vegeta's. The prince was momentarily dazed from the blow, but before he could shake it off, Trunks put one hand up to his face, and fired.

The force of the ki blast sent Vegeta flying backwards until he crashed right into the wall. He would have normally been sent through the wall entirely, but it was mercilessly reinforced by powers Vegeta couldn't see. His landing was hard, and picture frames on the wall were all shattered on impact. Vegeta slid down until he was sitting up against the wall, fighting against the darkness that was threatening to creep into his vision. He stubbornly shook it off, and squinted up at the sight of Trunks standing up.

"You can't win, Prince Vegeta."

"Kill me then," Vegeta growled, blinking as blood ran into his eyes. "Then you and the rest of the sick freaks on your side can get your goddamned vengeance. Go on, do it, you fucking coward! It's nothing I haven't been through before!"

"Have patience. Your time will come soon enough." Trunks cocked his head to one side, glaring up in the direction of Bulma and Bra.

Vegeta's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know if Goku and the others could sense this or not, but as things were, he was the last defense that his wife and daughter had. Without his ki, it took pure will power to pull himself back up after taking that ki blast from Trunks at point blank range. As soon as Vegeta finally managed to stand, though, that piercing pain was back in his head. He staggered forward a few steps, valiantly sucking it up, but it was too much and the pain dropped him back down to his knees.

The prince struggled for a few seconds, and then screamed in a mixture of rage, frustration, and agony. He had never abided by a real honor code in his life when it came to a battle, but this was not how things were done. Rarely had he felt more helpless, and never had he had more on the line. When he squinted one eye open, he saw that he was surrounded by dark shadows with red eyes, his son nowhere to be seen.

"_Beg for mercy, Prince Vegeta, and perhaps one member of your family will be spared," _that haunting childlike voice said. Vegeta was shaking with pure rage as he glared back at them all while he breathed heavily.

"I beg for NO ONE," he snarled, "And if I could kill you all again, I would do it in a heartbeat!"

"Wrong answer," Trunks' voice sneered from behind.

Before Vegeta could even glance back, he felt a bone jarring Super Saiyan kick delivered to the back of his head. He fell forward, his face hitting so hard against the carpeted floor that it broke his nose. It felt like his head had literally exploded from the impact. Reaction out of pure instinct, the prince shakily tried to push himself back up, his arms straining from the effort. In desperation, he again tried to power up, but it was in vain. His ki was gone for the time being.

"Cowards…all of you…" Vegeta slurred, his head spinning from the shot Trunks had delivered. It was taking all of his strength not to collapse right where he was.

"It's not fun being powerless, is it?" he heard Trunks laugh. "Luckily for you though, you're being saved for last. It's not your turn just yet."

A hand landed on the back of Vegeta's neck, the other hand hooking into one of the belt loops on the back of his jeans. The prince weakly tried to free himself, but Trunks was fully powered up and currently overwhelmed him in strength. Without warning, he lifted Vegeta up and then threw him head-first against the unforgiving wall, with enough strength to break the neck of any other man. Vegeta was out cold before he hit the floor.

Trunks went over and kicked Vegeta's foot a little to make sure he wasn't pretending to be unconscious. When he got no response, the teenager looked back up towards the ceiling.

"Goddamnit," Bulma hissed, anxiously digging through her closet upstairs while her home was wrecked downstairs. She could hear glass shattering down there, and knew that time was running out. Meanwhile, Bra was standing behind her, watching with wide eyes. She was lightly chewing on her fingernails, a nervous habit that drove both of her parents up the wall, but she didn't know what else to do. Her eyes were still red from her crying, but she was sucking it up.

"Mommy," she whispered, drawing closer to Bulma who was digging through an old duffel bag. "I can't feel Daddy anymore."

Bulma spared her a quick glance filled with concern, but then she went back to her task with renewed vigor. "It's alright. It takes a lot to harm your father. He'll be fine."

"Mom?" Trunks called out, casually strolling up the stairs. "Mom!"

"Got it," Bulma finally whispered out in relief, finding the capsule she'd been searching for. She quickly got out of the closet, and motioned for Bra to stay quiet with an index finger to her lips. Bra nodded, grasping her mother's free hand tightly. Bulma reached over into a dresser drawer with some of her cosmetics, shoving aside everything and slipping her hand deep inside as she felt around.

Finally, at the far end, she found a button. She pushed it, and heard a soft buzzing start up in the walls of her bedroom. In a move to force a stubborn prince to stay out of their bedroom when she was extremely pissed at him, she had long ago installed a ki shield in the room to keep Vegeta out. It only worked for a short amount of time, but right now, that was all she needed.

"Mom?" Trunks called again, frowning as he came up to the door. It took a few seconds for him to calm the adrenaline in his body enough for his eyes to return to their normal blue. "Everything's alright. You two can come out now," he coaxed, reaching to turn the knob. It turned, but had no give.

"But it's Trunks," Bra whined as Bulma hauled her over to the balcony and opened the screen door, forcing them to walk into the pouring rain.

"I know," Bulma whispered, fighting her motherly instincts to open the door for her son. She had thought his incident at the hospital was a side effect of his illness. Now she had no clue what to think, but she knew that this was out of her hands. As much as it killed her, she had to protect her daughter from her son right now.

Trunks kept trying to open the door, and when he couldn't, his patience snapped and he tried to kick the door in. Even with the ki shield up, Bulma and Bra both heard the door starting to splinter under the force.

"OPEN THIS DOOR!" Trunks screamed on the other side.

Bulma paid him no mind as she threw her capsule to the balcony. An old prototype of her hover jet appeared, hovering in midair. She quickly opened the door and picked up Bra, putting her in, before climbing in herself. Bulma released a deep breath as she quickly strapped in and grabbed the controls. As the jet started to levitate, she could only hope that Vegeta and Trunks would both be alright.

Trunks meanwhile was racing over to the next bedroom to get outside and find another way into Bulma and Vegeta's room, when he skidded to a stop. He cocked his head to one side, and then ran back over to the staircase. He went down far enough to look in Vegeta's direction, but the prince was still unconscious where he had landed by the wall. Trunks then turned his attention to the front door.

It seemed they had company.

"Just let me do the talking," Gohan whispered to his father. Goku looked rigid with tension, and Gohan already recognized that look on his face. That was the look of a Saiyan who was about to walk into battle. "Dad," Gohan whispered louder, this time getting Goku's attention. "Relax, will you? If you don't, you'll give us away."

Goku nodded, and watched as Gohan rang the bell at Capsule Corp. Both men waited, and finally, Trunks appeared. He casually raised an eyebrow, looking between father and son.

"What's going on? You two need something?" Trunks asked.

"Just wanted to check in-Trunks, are you okay?" Gohan questioned worriedly, seeing the blood on the teenager's face. Trunks brushed it off and nodded.

"Yeah, I was just training some."

"Well, if you say so." Gohan and Goku exchanged a look. If they had had a bad feeling about this before, it was worse now. Turning back to Trunks, Gohan stepped forward and waited for Trunks to move aside so he could walk in. When the teenager stood his ground though, Gohan cleared his throat. "Mind if we come in? I'd like to talk to your dad and see how he's doing. Plus it's pouring out here."

"I'm aware of the weather, but you two being here is not a good idea right now."

"Why not?"

"My father fell asleep. He was exhausted. My mother gave him something and he's resting. Everyone is."

"Huh, well that sure is weird, Trunks, because I could have sworn I felt your ki spike not too long," Goku wondered aloud, his eyes skirting off to the side of the compound where another teenager was rounding the back. "And Vegeta's ki seems almost nonexistent, which is also weird, even if he is sleeping."

"Like I said. I was training," Trunks explained in a monotone voice. "I have to stay sharp. I'm the only one here who can protect the family, after all. And my father was very tired, so tired he was feeling weak and sick."

Another look exchanged between Goku and Gohan. This time, Trunks' story sounded plausible. They had both seen Vegeta and knew that he was running on fumes. Gohan turned back to Trunks and offered a friendly smile.

"Well, my dad and I have nothing much going on tonight," Gohan suggested, removing his glasses which were streaked with rain drops. He casually wiped them clean with the bottom of his shirt as he added, "Maybe we can stick around and keep you company."

"A kind and noble proposition, but unnecessary."

"_A kind and noble proposition_?" Gohan echoed teasingly. "And you call _me _a nerd, Trunks?"

Meanwhile, while Trunks was being distracted, Goten was around the back, trying to find a way to sneak into the compound. The first sign of trouble had been Trunks' irregular spikes in ki, followed by Vegeta's ki dropping to nothing. When Goku couldn't IT into the compound, they all knew something was very wrong. They couldn't chalk things up to coincidence anymore, but they had to be careful if they were going to help their friends.

Goten smoothly leapt up onto the ledge of the second floor window leading to Trunks' bedroom, and tried peering inside. Seeing nothing but darkness and not daring to raise his ki, he waited until a flash of lightning cracked the sky. When that happened, though, he saw that nothing was amiss. Frowning a little, Goten dropped down to the ground, landing lightly on his feet. He went over to the kitchen, grateful for the rain and loud thunder giving him cover.

Trunks suddenly looked away from Gohan and Goku, back into the compound. He then looked back and smiled. "You know what? Wait here. I'll go ask my mom if you two can stay. I'll be right back."

With that, Trunks closed the door and locked it, not letting them in. Goku and Gohan glanced at each other, neither of them liking the feel of this. Goku took a step back and tried mentally reaching out to his youngest son. Meanwhile, Gohan tried to open the front door to no avail. He cursed and put his superhuman strength into it, but still, it would not budge, which only increased his concern.

_Goten! What's going on? _Goku sent.

_I can't budge the kitchen door while keeping my ki down. They're locked down tight. But this window in the kitchen is halfway open, _Goten sent back, trying to peek inside the dark kitchen. He might as well have been staring into a black abyss. _I might be able to squeeze in here-_

The kitchen wall abruptly exploded, sending Goten flying backwards head over heels, blanketed in a powerful wave of blue ki and flying concrete. Gohan and Goku both immediately ascended to their Super Saiyan states, teleporting over to Goten. They did it so fast that Gohan was able to catch his younger brother and absorb the brunt of the impact as they both fell backwards.

Goku stepped in front of his sons, ready to fight, but there was no one there. He shot his boys a look, and though Goten was visibly shaken, they both seemed fine. Without a word, Goku ran in through the destroyed kitchen wall to finally see for himself just what the hell was going on.

By that point though, Trunks was already gone.

Meanwhile, Bulma felt like she could finally breathe. She was out almost at the outskirts of West City, and she was safe. This hover jet was made for two, and per Vegeta's suggestion, had been specifically designed so that the ki of the occupants couldn't be tracked by any member of the Earth's special forces. It had just been a small thing for her and her husband to enjoy, a way to ensure their privacy away from their home, but now it was quite literally saving her life.

Sitting next to her, Bra was stubbornly trying not to nod off and fall asleep. She was emotionally drained, and the soft lull of the hover jet was presenting a battle for sleep that she was fighting to the bitter end. Bulma took a glance at her and sighed. Despite inheriting her mother's looks, the girl was definitely Vegeta's daughter. Bulma massaged her forehead a little bit, forcing herself not to worry too much about her son and her husband. She had to find somewhere low key and safe for them to go, for now.

Suddenly, the smooth riding of her hover jet came to a halt, jarring Bra out of her half slumber. Bulma blinked a few times in surprise, and tried increasing the thrusters to keep moving forward. But her jet was stuck right where it was, not advancing, not falling, just levitating there.

"Are we there now?" Bra tiredly asked, trying to lean up so she could peer out the window. It was still pouring and she couldn't see a thing except for rain drops staining the window.

"Not yet," Bulma replied, confused as she checked her controls.

She was so busy doing that, that she never noticed her son who was right outside the jet, until the teenager forced the door open. She shrieked a little in fright, leaning back away from him while trying to simultaneously protect her daughter.

"You know what the funny thing is about not being really alive?" Trunks asked, singlehandedly holding her hover jet in place with one hand. "I've got more souls on my side than you do. And they sure are helpful in a pinch. In fact, many of them wish they were in my position. But the strongest avengers are children with no battle experience, so the task fell to me. How fortunate for me to be chosen, yes?"

"Trunks! What is the matter with you? What the hell are you talking about? You have to fight this and get control of yourself back!" Bulma fearlessly yelled at him. His expression darkened considerably, his eyes cold and chilling as they started burning crimson.

"You've known for _decades_ what he's done, and yet you still stand by his side. You deserve this just as much as he does. Now, if you'll just excuse me here," he mockingly said, before squeezing into the jet with them. With his superior Saiyan strength, he easily rearranged them so Bulma was back at the controls, he was at the far end, and Bra was between them. "I want you to go exactly where I say, when I say. I wouldn't try anything with the girl here between us. Start heading northwest."

Bra whimpered and buried her face into Bulma's ribs, trying to get as close to her mother as possible. Bulma hushed her gently, and then she reluctantly did as her son requested. Only he wasn't her son. She had no idea who he was. Worse yet, she had no idea what he was planning on doing. Would he use them as bait? Take them somewhere and kill them off? She shuddered at the thought, but couldn't help but voice her burning question.

"What are you going to do?" she nervously asked.

"I'm going to start giving you all exactly what you deserve."


	12. Fighting fire with fire

**A/N: I linked some pretty cool fan art for this fic on my profile here, that one of my awesome readers made. Check it out if you'd like! **

**Anyways, I own nothing, blah blah blah...here we go…hope you like. **

* * *

Vegeta was jerked back to reality when water suddenly splashed on his face. He coughed and sputtered roughly, raising one hand up to his wet face. Blood, he could smell blood. That wasn't good. It was hard to think much more than that, what with his head pounding hard in rhythm with his heartbeat. He squinted his eyes open, seeing the blurred images of Goten and Gohan leaning over him.

"Told you the water would work."

"This isn't funny, Goten," Gohan irritably snapped.

"I'm not trying to be funny," Goten shot back. "You think I wanted to go back into the kitchen with those bodies to get some water? Well, I didn't, but I went anyways because I-crap, Gohan, he's fading."

Gohan turned his attention back to the prince, who was indeed on the brink of losing consciousness again. He grabbed Vegeta's arm and hauled him so he was sitting upright, and the fast motion was enough to force Vegeta not to give in to the pain he was in. The prince shook his head a little, reaching up to shakily wipe the blood off his face, brushing his broken nose in the process. Reacting out of pure instinct, Vegeta snorted out some bloody mucus and then reset his nose without flinching before Goten could finish cringing.

"Vegeta? You alright?" Gohan worriedly asked. "Do you remember what happened here?"

Vegeta looked directly at the two hybrid Saiyans in front of him, thoroughly confused as to what was going on. That is, until he looked around and saw where he was. Everything then rushed back to him, and a mixture of panic and rage overwhelming him as the color drained from his face – Trunks had knocked him out, which meant he had been left alone with Bulma and Bra…

He shocked both Gohan and Goten with how quickly he got back up on his feet. The prince ascended immediately to his Super Saiyan state, and then shot upstairs inhumanly fast. Before he could barge into his bedroom though, he was stopped by the only being in the universe fast enough to get in his way. Goku was barely able to grab Vegeta's arm as the prince was shooting past him.

"Vegeta, wait-"

Vegeta quickly yanked his arm free, spun around, and struck Goku hard with a powerful punch right to the face, doing it all so fast that Goku never had a chance to even attempt a defense. The younger Saiyan landed hard on the floor, more in shock than in pain, but Vegeta instantly turned back around and kicked the door open to his bedroom as he rushed inside.

"Bulma! Bra!" he yelled in a complete panic, quickly scouring the room. Vegeta sprinted into the bathroom, yanking the curtain open to check the tub. Not there. Cursing, he ran back into the bedroom, this time going into the closet. Not there. She wasn't there, and neither was Bra. Trying in vain to calm down, he followed his sense of smell, and then found himself on the balcony in the rain. His hands finally settled on the balcony rail. Their scents ended there.

"Vegeta," Goku gently said from behind him, his sons in tow as they all stood in the rain. The prince didn't respond, leaving Goku to stare at his bare back in apprehension. Vegeta's ki was still rising, and he was shaking, unconsciously twisting and breaking the rail under his fingers, making parts of it rip into his hands. "I wanted to tell you. Trunks, Bulma, Bra - none of them are here. I went looking for Trunks as soon as we found you downstairs, but I couldn't track him at all. I just got back to see if you were alright, so you could help. Can you sense them?"

Vegeta was barely able to shake his head.

Goku turned back to his sons. "Goten. Go downstairs to Bulma's labs, and find the radar for the Dragon Balls. Gohan, can you do something with the bodies in the kitchen? We don't want any more people seeing them."

Goten instantly looked frustrated; he didn't want to be sent on a stupid errand. He wanted to find his best friend and help him. But before he could object, Gohan put a hand on his shoulder and firmly pulled him back. Goten grit his teeth, shrugging out of his brother's grip, but he turned around and marched back inside with his brother close behind him.

Once the two pure blooded Saiyans were left alone, Goku turned back to Vegeta. The prince was hardly aware of his presence, his thoughts turning darker by the second. If anything happened to his wife and daughter, it would have been at Trunks' hands. If they were still alive – and they had to be – then Trunks had them. He therefore had to find his son first and foremost, as fast as possible, if there was any hope of saving Bulma and Bra.

Inadvertently, Vegeta began to fall right back into an old, familiar way of thinking. The spirits orchestrating this nightmare were supposedly doing this to him in the name of good. Retribution for his past sins. They were his enemies now, and their "goodness" was a weakness. And that was one weakness Vegeta had exploited over half his life. If they thought he was a monster while working for Frieza, then they hadn't seen a goddamned thing yet.

His shaking slowly came to a stop, and when he turned back around, Goku swallowed heavily. Aside from Bulma, he had insight into Vegeta's mind like no one else, thanks to their fusion years ago. The prince's dark eyes were cold and murderous when they made eye contact. This wasn't the man who had become his friend – this was the man who had survived for decades under the most ruthless tyrant ever known.

"Whatever you're thinking, Vegeta, it's a bad idea," Goku warned. The prince ignored him, stalking back into his bedroom with the younger Saiyan right on his heels. "We can fix all of this if we work together. We're all ready and willing to help you in any way-"

"I don't need your help, Kakarot," Vegeta growled, disappearing into the closet. He eyed the mess on the floor, and without panic seizing him, he squatted down and analyzed the situation, forcing his emotion to the background. Bulma's scent was powerful in this room. She had been in here not long ago. Hiding? He scowled; Bra's scent wasn't nearly as strong. If she had been hiding, the girl would have been in here with her. Then she must have come in here, searching for something…his gaze settled on the open duffle bag, and he immediately put two and two together.

"It seems to me that you do need help, based on how we found you tonight," Goku pressed as Vegeta stood up. He watched the prince clear the closet with one swipe of his arm, and frowned in concern when he saw the old battle armor in the corner, with an accompanying blue spandex body suit right behind it. Vegeta ignored him as he quickly started to get dressed. "I want to help."

"If you truly want to help, stay the fuck out of my way," Vegeta sneered, pulling on his battle armor. "And keep your worthless friends out of my way too. My family, my battle. Stay out of it."

"Bulma is my oldest friend, Goten loves Trunks like a brother, Pan loves Bra like a sister, and you're one of my closest friends, Vegeta. You're all my family too."

Vegeta briefly paused pulling on his white gloves, and then continued on, not looking behind him. "I assume your son has already told you about Dende's theory."

"Yeah, he did."

"Trunks has been possessed. Bulma and Bra managed to leave, and though I think they're safe, I don't know for certain. I have to find Trunks, before he finds them and kills them," Vegeta bluntly replied.

"You definitely need help if you're going to find Trunks. None of us can sense him-"

"I don't need to sense him. I just need to force him to come to me."

"But how…" Goku paused as the prince turned to face him, and then realization dawned in his eyes. His features looked strained, almost pleading. "Vegeta, you can't."

"Watch me," Vegeta responded, his voice ice cold.

"That's your plan? Kill everyone on the planet until Trunks comes to you?" Goku asked in exasperation.

"Fight fire with fire. We shall see how many they're willing to let die for their cause-"

Determination settled over Goku's face. "No. I won't let you kill innocent people just to force a move in this game-"

"YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME?" Vegeta furiously roared, his golden ki igniting around him. Before Goku could react, Vegeta already had him pinned roughly to the wall, burying his forearm into his throat while he screamed in his face, "THEY'RE AFTER MY FAMILY-!"

Goku immediately ascended to Super Saiyan, and then shoved Vegeta hard in the chest, forcing the prince to back up. "We'll think of something else then! But you're not going to kill innocent people who have nothing to do with this!"

"My wife and children are innocent and have nothing to do with this either, but that doesn't seem to matter, does it?" Vegeta snapped. "So you can try to stop me, but you're going to have to kill me."

"And what then? What will you do when you've succeeded and Trunks is in front of you? Kill him too?" Goku shot back in frustration.

"If it means saving Bulma and Bra, then yes," Vegeta snarled. "I'll save two of the three if I can."

Goku scoffed, shaking his head. "You're lying to yourself again, just like you did with Buu."

"You're underestimating me again, just like you always have."

"She would never forgive you. You know that, don't you, Vegeta?"

Vegeta visibly faltered at the words. Goku hadn't specified which "she", but they both knew it wasn't his five-year-old daughter. He hadn't thought much about the consequences of his impulsive plan, but he knew that Goku was right. Even if they did wish Trunks back to life, Vegeta already knew that the woman he would die to protect would never look at him the same way again if their son died at his hands.

"She could hate me, but at least she would be alive," Vegeta coldly replied, but Goku saw the change in his eyes. This was a fight of a different kind, and the younger Saiyan was now winning.

"You would never forgive yourself either," he added for good measure. The prince's lip twitched in agitation, before he turned his head and glared out at the balcony. Goku hesitantly took a step forward. "I can help you."

"So can we," Gohan said from the doorway, drawing their attention. Goten was standing a little way behind him, and Vegeta could read him perfectly. Both brothers looked determined and ready for a fight, but the younger brother in particular looked ready to kill. Perhaps he rubbed off on Goten over the years more than he had realized.

"Fine," Vegeta finally snapped. He was wasting far too much time here, and he definitely didn't have time to fight the three of them. Might as well get some use out of them. "Goten, go collect the Dragon Balls."

"What?" Goten shouted indignantly. "No! I want to help-"

"You'd help by doing like he says," Goku cut in, leaving no room for argument. "After all, you already found the Dragon Ball locator like I asked you to, right?"

Goten exhaled through his nose, barely able to keep himself in check. He then spun around, grumbling, and stalked down the hallway to do as he was told. Gohan frowned in concern as he watched his little brother go. He and he alone knew that Goten was wracked with guilt for leaving the compound earlier that night. He would have to keep close tabs on him and make sure he was alright.

"As for you," Vegeta continued. Gohan turned back to him, only to find the prince standing in front of him. Vegeta was extending him what looked like a napkin. Gohan took it, and unfolded it, raising an eyebrow when he saw a phone number written on it. "Whoever owns this telephone number might know how to end this. See what you can find out."

"Alright," Gohan agreed. He turned around and headed out to do just that. As soon as he was out of sight, Vegeta turned back to Goku.

"Twenty minutes, Kakarot. That's how long we will search for Trunks your way. When the time is up, we draw him out my way."

Goku nodded in agreement. This was as close to a compromise as he was going to get with Vegeta. He had to make those twenty minutes count. "I'll get us more help so we can cover more ground then."

Before Vegeta could protest this development, Goku vanished from sight. The prince forced his annoyance to the background as he walked back outside into the rain. He tried again to sense his son, and when he couldn't, he took to the air in a flash of golden light, flying through the night sky.

He would give twenty minutes, and not a second more.

* * *

"Are you insane?" Bulma demanded, unable to keep the flash of fear out of her blue eyes. Her right hand was protectively cradled against her little daughter, who was in a terrified, exhausted haze. Bra could do little more than cling to her mother for dear life.

"You heard me," Trunks growled, glancing out the window of the hoverjet anxiously. They had just landed moments ago, on a dark deserted island, not easily visible to any humans. "So do it now, before I kill the girl and show Vegeta her body. Then we could both watch him destroy everyone on the planet you love."

Bulma swallowed. Right now, she didn't put it past him to do something so malicious. Slowly, she reached up on the dashboard and flipped open a compartment, showing a blue button. She and Trunks both looked at each other simultaneously, and she forced back a shudder at his eyes. They were blood red and almost glowing. A stark reminder that he wasn't her son right now. Looking back at the blue button, Bulma pushed it.

The jet slowly lifted up, and then began to transform. All three of them heard gears shifting, mechanical pieces moving as the jet changed shape. When it settled back into the dark sand, it had become a small submarine.

"Now go into the water," Trunks ordered.

It felt like he was ordering her to walk the plank. Being in such close proximity with him, and with Bra right between them, Bulma had no choice. She made sure that everything was airtight, and then picked up the controls. Slowly, the submarine lifted up on wheels and started heading towards the water.

"Despite what Vegeta's done, doing this to two kids is wrong," Bulma said shakily as they started going into the water. Once the water was window level, the wheels disappeared. Yes, her little jet had now become a submarine, but it wasn't reinforced to withstand much depth. Not for long anyways.

"No different from the things he used to do," Trunks replied with indifference, watching as they were slowly submerged. "An eye for an eye."

"You're just like how Vegeta used to be," Bulma grumbled hatefully.

Trunks almost whirled around in his seat, a mixture of shock and rage on his face. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," Bulma shot back, louder and angrier now. "You want to punish Vegeta and ignore what a good person he is now, fine. You want to punish me for loving him, fine. But our kids had nothing to do with anything. This is the type of thing Vegeta used to do when he was younger. You're no better than he was."

"He killed billions of innocents. It's not the same," Trunks snarled. Bra's grip on Bulma tightened, fresh tears coming to her eyes.

"NEWSFLASH, buddy! He was working for Frieza! I'd love to see how YOU would have done if that sick bastard had gotten his hands on you when you were five years old! I bet you wouldn't exactly score five stars on a kindness scale either!"

"Is that what the Saiyan has brainwashed you with? That every kill he made was ordered by Frieza?" Trunks scoffed in disgust, his red eyes locked on her with pure hatred.

"Vegeta's not innocent, I know that. But he's changed. He's a good man now." She put her arm back around Bra, and repeated herself for her daughter's sake. "He's a very good man."

Trunks stared at her. Bulma usually had no problems reading her son, but this was very different. She didn't know if he was going to get mad and kill them both right there, or simply continue their conversation. She was relieved when he chose the latter, but wasn't quite prepared for his words.

"You genuinely love him," Trunks finally said, his voice a mixture of confusion and amazement.

"Well of course I do, moron!" Bulma shot at him. "He's my husband and the father of my children!"

"Yes, he is," Trunks agreed, surprising her. He looked away, back out the window. The jet-turned-submarine was completely submerged underwater now, and with the dark night and the storm brewing, he knew they would be out of sight. It was part of a careful plan that had been brewing for quite a long time. A plan for vengeance, retribution, payback for the evil things Vegeta had done long ago.

But it was hard now to stay focused on the plan. He figured it was due to Bra's soft crying next to him, accompanied with Bulma trying to offer her the quiet, soothing words of a mother. In another time, on another planet, similar sounds had come from his true family as they hid in an underground chamber while the Saiyans purged their city aboveground. They had prayed desperately to their gods, but those prayers had fallen silent to the wrath of a young Saiyan prince looking for blood…

The alien spirit wondered now if Bulma was right. She and her daughter weren't terrified of Vegeta. They were terrified of him, and the other dark avengers who were keeping watch. He frowned and leaned his head back, trying to stay focused on the goal, reminding himself that this was what he always wanted.

"_Vegeta has begun his search with his friends," _a haunting voice whispered in his ear. _"It won't be long now. Just twenty minutes until he breaks."_

He said nothing. He already knew what that meant. Vegeta was finally on the brink of reverting back to type. They were close to tearing down twenty years of redemption, and it had only taken mere days. It was almost time, but he surprisingly didn't feel an expected sense of triumph.

"_Zandis," _the childlike voice said, calling him by name now. His red eyes shifted to the side, looking towards the voice. _"You remember what to do?"_

"Yes," he replied out loud, earning startled glances from Bulma and Bra. Neither could hear the other voice, but he didn't care.

"_You're having second thoughts."_

"No." He shook his head to deny it. "I asked to do this, and I will do it."

"_Remember what Vegeta did to your family. Toyed with them, laughing while he killed them. He's evil. He must pay."_

"Yes, I know." Trunks turned to Bulma, and she tried shrinking back from him, but they were in such close quarters that it was impossible. His red eyes locked with hers. "And he will."

With that, he roughly grabbed both Bulma and Bra by the hair.

* * *

Unable to sense Trunks' powerful ki signature, and with Bulma and Bra's ki signatures being considerably weak in comparison, there was no way around it. They had to search for them the old fashioned way. Between Vegeta, Goku, Krillin, Android 18, and Yamcha, they had all covered the entire planet several times over in under twenty minutes. But there was no sign of Vegeta's family.

Goku was almost dizzy with how many times he was teleporting. He would trail Vegeta one minute, always keeping the prince in his sights. Then he would spend one minute hunting the planet for Trunks himself. Then the next minute, he would teleport to everyone else, and check what they all had seen. Then he would teleport to each of his sons. Gohan and Videl were both working together to trace the phone number Vegeta had given Gohan, a task proving more difficult than they anticipated. Goten was busy tracking down the Dragon Balls with the help of Bulma's radar, and had already found one. Then Goku would teleport back to Vegeta, and begin the process all over again. The only exception was the time he tried teleporting to Piccolo and Dende, in an effort to secure Piccolo's help – but according to Mr. Popo, the two Namekians had gone for answers of their own, to visit New Namek. How they'd gotten there, Goku didn't know.

And he had no time to guess. There were only two minutes left now, and everyone was committed to the cause. Goku was currently trailing Vegeta, growing more anxious with each second. The prince had reached an ascended level above Super Saiyan 2 over the years, with the illustrious Super Saiyan 3 transformation still eluding him. Right now, he was powered up to his maximum so he could fly as fast as possible, and Goku was matching him.

They were flying low enough to check all the streets, both of them looking for lavender or blue hair. More and more humans were going indoors though, trying to get out of the storm which was now practically a hurricane. Streets were being flooded, with trees and houses starting to take real damage from the extreme weather and high winds.

Finally, time was up. Goku was tense, but Vegeta kept his flight trajectory. The younger Saiyan frowned – if he was aware that twenty minutes had now passed, then for sure, Vegeta was also aware. But there was no lapse in control, no slip into madness as Goku had feared.

Vegeta suddenly stopped in midair and spun around to face him. Goku froze, both drenched Saiyans now just a few feet apart. The prince had his fists clenched tightly, his back rigid.

"I'm going back to Capsule Corp – I have an idea that might work!" Vegeta shouted to get his voice over the wind. "I'm certain that Bulma took Bra on an old hoverjet, and it has a ki blocking shield on it! I think I know how to deactivate it! You keep searching!"

Goku nodded. He couldn't get a word out before Vegeta flew past him, back in the direction of West City. Goku tracked him for a short while, but then he went the other way. He trusted Vegeta to do as he said.

Which was exactly what Vegeta had been counting on. He felt strangely uncomfortable playing Goku for a fool, but he had no time to fight the younger Saiyan. His blatant lie was the best way to throw Goku off his trail, if only for a little while. He had no choice – if they hadn't found Bulma and Bra by now, then in his mind, there was no doubt Trunks had already found them. He had to draw Trunks out, and the only way to do that was to draw some blood.

He dropped down into downtown West City, a mixture of desperation and madness in his eyes. The prince immediately zeroed in on all the humans running down the street, trying to find shelter from the intense storm. Twenty of them, give or take. That would do, for now.

They were all ruthlessly forced to the ground at the same time; men, women, and young children alike, landing hard on their stomachs. The water was almost a foot high on the flooded street, and the prince fired ki rings to hook behind everyone's neck – pinning them all to the concrete and forcing their heads to be submerged completely underwater. The people thrashed helplessly, kicking wildly, trying to free themselves to no avail as they began to drown. Meanwhile, the Prince of Saiyans glared hatefully up at the sky.

"I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HEAR ME! HOW MANY IS IT GOING TO TAKE?" Vegeta screamed up, his veins pulsing in his rage. "Twenty? Twenty thousand? Six billion? It doesn't matter to me, but their blood is on YOUR hands!"

He spun around, bright blue ki ignited around his hand, instinctively aiming at the base of the tallest skyscraper in the city – knowing that everything (and everyone) in the blast trajectory would be destroyed, but not giving a damn. He went to fire, when he was suddenly tackled hard by Goku. Both Saiyans went barreling through the glass window of a bookstore, through the actual store, and then through the back brick wall until they fell together into a flooded alley, the bricks falling on them both. The impact broke Vegeta's concentration, freeing everyone who was pinned down to the street. They all immediately sat up, gasping for air, with some of the children bursting into tears.

In the alley, Goku mounted the older Saiyan, trying to regain control of a situation that was spiraling out of control.

"STOP IT, VEGETA!" Goku screamed down at him, trying to keep the livid prince pinned down as Vegeta thrashed to break free. "This isn't the way!"

"_GET OFF ME!"_ Vegeta roared.

He freed his hand, clenched his fist, and slammed it hard into Goku's ribs. It was good enough to knock the air out of Goku. Vegeta immediately got back on his feet, and then turned around, raising his hand back up towards the skyscraper. Goku recovered fast and grabbed him from behind, yanking the prince down hard by the back of his armor and forcing him to land painfully back on the flooded street, right as he fired a powerful blast. The wave of blue ki spiraled up to the sky, not killing anyone, much to the prince's rage. Vegeta scrambled up to his feet, and this time, he set his furious gaze on Goku. Before he could react though, both Goku and Vegeta felt it.

Both Saiyans whirled around, looking in the same direction, forgetting their altercation. Like a huge beacon of light suddenly coming to life in the darkness, it was there: Trunks' ki signature. Alive and powerful. Daring them to come to him. Vegeta squinted in his direction, trying to sense Bulma and Bra. When he couldn't, he turned to look directly at Goku, forgetting their fight just moments ago.

"Take me there, _now_," Vegeta ordered harshly, no room for argument in his voice. Not that Goku would have argued. He was just as eager to get the prince away from so many innocent people.

Goku frowned and reached out, putting his hand on Vegeta's shoulder. He raised his other hand up to his forehead to teleport them over to Trunks, when he suddenly cried out in pain and dropped to his knees. The prince backed up, raising an eyebrow as he felt Goku's ki suddenly plummet almost to nothing, his golden aura disappearing as his hair faded to black. Growling, Vegeta stepped up, resisting the urge to kick Goku hard.

"Can you use your instant transmission technique?" he demanded impatiently, watching as Goku grimaced from pain, both hands holding his head.

"No," Goku grit out, one eye squeezed shut.

"Must not want you to come then," Vegeta deduced. He did a quick ki sweep, and instead of feeling the other fighters who had also been searching for Trunks, he felt nothing. Not Gohan or Goten. Not the humans. He was the only one left standing. They obviously wanted him to come alone. The prince eyed Goku a moment longer, then looked back in Trunks' direction through the storm. He didn't know how to help the younger Saiyan, and even if he had, he didn't have time for it.

"Sorry, Kakarot," he added, no true regret in his voice as he turned around and gave Goku his back. "But it looks like I'm the only one who's been invited to the party."

"Vegeta, wait," Goku pleaded, struggling to get back up to his feet. He immediately fell back down in the water when Vegeta's ki erupted around him, and then the prince was gone, making a beeline straight for Trunks. Goku rolled over, getting up to his hands and knees. He slammed his fist down hard into the water in frustration.

Meanwhile, the alien spirit named Zandis was awaiting the prince, his thoughts a whirlwind. Inhabiting Trunks' body had given him access to Trunks' memories, for the purpose of easily impersonating his style of speaking, and to learn more about a culture that he didn't know. But he hadn't anticipated the effect Trunks' memories would have on him, especially when it came to Vegeta. Seeing Vegeta's life over the years was one thing. Seeing things from Trunks' perspective though was something else entirely, and now that he was doing nothing but standing and waiting for the Saiyan prince, Trunks' memories were becoming more difficult to ignore.

Zandis scowled and closed his eyes, driving Trunks back. He focused specifically on _his _memories: his mother coming out of the underground chamber to lure the Saiyans away from her children during their brutal purge. The sound of her screaming as she was mutilated by Vegeta. His footsteps as he easily followed her scent. His dark merciless gaze when he ripped off the top of their chamber. The way the prince hauled up his youngest sister with so much force, he almost ripped her arm off. Zandis stepping forward and challenging Vegeta to a fight, one he was doomed to lose. Vegeta's cruel laughter as Zandis laid on the ground minutes later, his body broken from the fight, helpless to do anything to save his sisters from being ruthlessly torn apart in front of his eyes…

Suddenly, Trunks' memories overwhelmed him, coming to the forefront. The subtle looks Vegeta would give Bulma that she never picked up on, but Trunks always had. The gentle way Vegeta used to hold Bra when she was a baby. The rare times when Vegeta had played games with Trunks growing up, and the even more rare times when Vegeta had put his arm around him. The time Vegeta had told Trunks shortly after Buu's demise, that he didn't want him to grow up and be like him. The regret that had flashed in Vegeta's eyes years later, while explaining to Trunks the exact magnitude of the things he'd done while working for Frieza-

Zandis shook his head, opening Trunks' red eyes and trying to stop those foreign memories, where Vegeta wasn't the monster he believed him to be. He was met with a deserted plain, with the dirt and sand rapidly turning to mud under his feet under the storm. He was standing alone on the edge of an old crater, peering down into it as it rapidly filled up with dirty water. It was the same crater left after Vegeta sacrificed himself against Buu a decade prior. This location was chosen for that very symbolism.

Vegeta was approaching now. He could feel it. He tried to find the hatred that had driven him up until this point. But it was tainted with the powerful emotions from Trunks' memories. Though he still didn't view Vegeta any differently, he was starting to see things from Trunks' perspective. The young hybrid Saiyan would either die tonight at his father's hands. Or even worse, he would watch as his father was killed in front of him. Either way, Trunks was helpless to do anything about it but watch, just as he himself had once been long ago…

Bulma had been right, he suddenly realized. He was doing the same thing to Trunks that Vegeta had once done to him. It hadn't been right then. And it wasn't right now.

"Perhaps," Trunks' voice spoke out loud, though it was Zandis speaking through him. "Perhaps, there might be another way to resolve this."

The haunting voice instantly responded. _"This is the only way. You know what he has done. You have seen it and lived it."_

"Yes. And Vegeta should pay for that," he agreed. "But this boy, Trunks. His spirit is pure…he had nothing to do with-"

"_The boy's thoughts are tainting yours. Don't let them. The only way to hurt Vegeta is through his family. It's the only way to avenge your own."_

Zandis fell into silence. He didn't have much time left to speak anyways. There was a flash of golden light through the dark stormy night, and then, Vegeta was in front of him. The prince stood on the opposite edge of the crater. His eyes briefly skirted over the area, and at first, Zandis thought it was because he was remembering what happened last time he was there. But then, he realized that the prince was actually looking for signs of his wife and his daughter.

Finding none, Vegeta looked back at Trunks, clenching his fists at his sides. Dressed in his armor he hadn't worn in years, in his maximum Super Saiyan 2 state, Vegeta was poised for battle.

"Where are they?" he demanded, his voice loud and menacing. Trunks said nothing, and Vegeta growled, his golden aura flaring up with his impatience. Shifting slightly, the prince's boot drove back some of the mud under his feet. "Tell me now, or I'll beat it out of you!" Vegeta yelled.

"They're dead," the possessed Trunks bluntly replied, no emotion, no regret. Vegeta faltered, surprise lighting up his face as his eyes widened. Then fury quickly rushed over his face.

"You lie!" he screamed now, his heart pounding. It was a lie. It had to be. There was no way Trunks could let himself be possessed, and then do nothing while his mother and sister were killed. Vegeta refused to believe that they were dead, hadn't even allowed himself to fully contemplate the thought.

"Do I?" Trunks asked. "Look for yourself, if you don't believe me, Saiyan."

He pulled out something white from his pocket, and threw it at Vegeta. He then watched the prince with morbid curiosity. Vegeta immediately caught it. At first, he didn't know what it was, but he immediately recognized the smell. Blood. Half-Saiyan blood. Even in the rain, it was still buried deep into the material. Distinct from Saiyan and human blood in chemistry and in scent. He had the sinking feeling it didn't belong to Trunks.

With shaking hands, he finally unfolded what was a white sweater. His daughter's. Stained in blood and wet from the rain. He unfolded it completely, and when he did, something fell to the ground. Kneeling down, Vegeta picked it up. Bulma's wedding ring smeared with blood. Human blood. The prince sank to his knees, his mind trying to be rational. It could have been someone else's blood. But his intuition was saying that wasn't the case.

If Zandis' resolve was wavering earlier, it was crumbling now. There was some vindication, yes, in seeing the anguish on Vegeta's face now, the tears shining in his eyes that he was fighting to keep back. Hitting him where it hurt the most was less than what the cruel prince actually deserved. But the problem was what needed to happen next. Without even realizing it, he shook his head, and took a step back.

"I can't do it. It's not right," he mumbled.

No voice responded this time, but he got someone else's attention. Vegeta finally looked up, as though remembering that his son was still there. Just as quickly as he was overcome with grief and shame for not being strong enough to protect his wife and daughter, Vegeta was suddenly overcome with blind rage just at the mere sight of Trunks.

And then, he snapped.

Before Zandis could even try to fight back, Vegeta had already struck him in the face hard enough to send him flying backwards. The prince quickly delivered another devastating blow that nearly destroyed Trunks' back, forcing him to crash hard into the ground. Vegeta landed and immediately forced Trunks onto his back, before continuing to batter him. Trunks' attempts to fight back were useless, easily overwhelmed by the livid prince. It didn't matter that the boy's eyes were blood red, clearly signaling he was still possessed. It didn't matter that this was his flesh and blood, his own son. Vegeta was beyond thought, enraged beyond comprehension as he blindly attacked, striking Trunks repeatedly, with his full strength behind each blow. In the face, in the chest, in the stomach, it didn't matter. The boy's cries of pain didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

"Miserable piece of shit," Vegeta hissed, finally drawing back enough only to start strangling the boy beneath him. He wasn't aware of the tears staining his own face, though they were well-hidden with the rain anyways. Trunks clawed at his hands, struggling to get him to let go. But Vegeta's blows had been debilitating, and the prince's grip now was merciless. "I'm going to kill you and end this now!"

Zandis could feel the energy and strength in Trunks' body beginning to leave. The spirits were loud now, clamoring in his ear to let Vegeta do as he said. The plan had worked to perfection. Methodically preventing Vegeta from getting any real sleep over weeks leading up to this point. Building his stress to the breaking point. This was the breaking point now, killing his own son with his bare hands in a fit of rage. All Zandis had to do was lay back and let Vegeta go through with it, sealing his own punishment.

But Zandis instead fought back. To hell with the plan. He didn't want this anymore. He didn't want this memory of Vegeta strangling him to death to mix into Trunks' memories, which always had an air of respect, admiration, and love when it came to his father. But no matter how much he struggled, Vegeta's grip just kept tightening and tightening. He tried to speak, but that only made the asphyxiation worse.

Feeling Trunks' life slipping, Zandis desperately tried the only thing he could. He looked directly into Vegeta's eyes, and forced Trunks' eyes to return to their normal blue.

Sanity returned to Vegeta's eyes when he saw the change, as though suddenly reminded that this was his son. His first-born. The boy he'd once died to protect. His grip loosened slightly, and then completely. Before Trunks could even shove his hands off, Goku suddenly appeared, the other warriors in tow along with Gohan. Vegeta was immediately hauled off him, and finally Trunks could breathe. Barely. He tasted blood, couldn't move an inch, and it burned every time he tried to breathe.

Krillin and Yamcha were suddenly on either side of Trunks, both of them grimacing at the condition he was in. Zandis inwardly chuckled. This was almost the same condition Vegeta had left him in during that purge, before killing him for good. The irony was amusing.

"He's in pretty bad shape. Do we have a senzu bean?" Krillin yelled back as Android 18 came next to them. Gohan and Goku were both standing with Vegeta, speaking to him gently even while they strategically stood between him and his son. But the prince was squatting down, his back to all of them, both hands gripping his hair. He only now seemed to realize what he had done, how badly he had lost control. It was too much to handle.

Zandis roughly spoke, blood gurgling in his throat. "Vegeta. They're not dead," he hoarsely choked out.

Vegeta lifted his head at that, while Goku and Gohan turned around to look at Trunks in surprise. Vegeta immediately brushed past them, but they both followed him closely. Krillin, Yamcha, and Android 18 also eyed Vegeta warily as the prince crouched down next to his fallen son. They didn't know what to make of the scene they had teleported into.

"What?"

"They're not dead. Just a plan, for you to kill Trunks."

Vegeta sank down to his knees for the second time that night. He looked confused. "But, the blood…"

"Theirs, yes. From their hands. They're safe. Island, Atlantic. Closest to North City. Under the water."

"I'll go find them," Goku quickly volunteered. Without another word, he vanished from sight. Vegeta barely noticed. He was beyond relieved over Bulma and Bra being alive, but he was also beyond exhausted. His shoulders sagged, and he could hardly do more than stare down at his beaten and bloodied son.

"Why?" was the only word that he could get out. It took a second for Zandis to figure out how to tap into Trunks' telepathy, but when he did, he got across the night that had been haunting him for decades, to the man responsible for the horror of it all.

Vegeta winced at the detail in the images that flashed through his mind, none that were exaggerated. He remembered the mission vividly, and remembered the time frame. He then directed his own thoughts back – everything that had happened beforehand, which included some of the worst torture experienced during his servitude under Frieza. It wasn't meant to be an apology or an excuse. It was just to give the tortured spirit some semblance of understanding and peace. He deserved that much.

Zandis weakly nodded. He didn't forgive. He would never forgive. But at least now he understood. He especially understood what Bulma's point had been earlier.

"The children are the strongest. Beware of them," he warned.

"The children?" Vegeta questioned. He was grasping his son's hand, transferring him some of his own ki to keep his strength up.

"The ones you killed. Your worst massacre - your worst enemies. Others are with them. From other purges. But the children are the strongest."

"How do I stop them?"

"I'm not on your side, Saiyan," came the snide but weak response. "But, I'm not on theirs either. Not anymore. All I know, is that they'll need time, to get more energy, from the virus. You'll have some time to figure it out. But they'll be back to finish, what I couldn't."

Vegeta scowled, and said nothing to that. The only way to force answers was to inflict more physical pain, and he refused to hurt him any more. He watched as the look in his son's eyes began to change. The possession was finally leaving, but before Zandis relinquished Trunks' body back to its rightful owner, he told the prince one last thing.

"It's not over."


	13. Chasing the lead

**A/N: this is just a quick response to one of my fave anon readers "shasha" (since I can't respond privately - sadface). This is really the only anime I've gotten into enough to feel comfortable writing fanfics for. But I'll add YYH to my "to watch" list. ;) **

**Thanks guys for all the support, as usual. Hope you like.**

* * *

Several tense hours later, Bra was down for the count, completely exhausted after her ordeal. The little girl was sound asleep in her bedroom, though Krillin and Yamcha were sitting in the same room with her, each warrior in a different corner. Trunks was in his own room, since the infirmary was still bloodied up. Bulma had immediately handed over the last half of the Senzu bean that she had, and that was enough to heal the teenager enough so that he would survive the horrific beating he took at the hands of his father.

Bulma was left at a rare loss for words when she saw the condition Trunks was in. She knew the circumstances – hell, she had known the plan because Zandis had told her beforehand what he was going to do. She knew that Vegeta had lost control, and that she shouldn't blame him completely. But seeing her son so badly injured made it hard not to be angry with Vegeta. It made it very hard.

At the moment though, Vegeta couldn't care less what his wife thought of him. The prince hadn't bothered to check on his wife or either of his children since their return to Capsule Corp. It was much easier to focus his complete attention on Gohan. The Saiyan hybrid had shown up not too long ago with his laptop, resuming the investigative work Vegeta had assigned to him and leaving Videl to stay with Pan. It was nearing four in the morning, but the only ones who were asleep in the compound were Bra and Trunks.

"Well?" Vegeta demanded for about the fifth time that night, leaning over Gohan's shoulder to see how far along he was. Gohan was working hard downstairs in one of the spacious dens, where he wouldn't be bothered by the scent of death or the destruction caused by Trunks and Vegeta's fight. He was sitting at a desk now, typing away as fast as he could.

"The number will come up eventually. Just have to cross check the database for this number, and it's a pretty big database, Vegeta," Gohan explained, frowning as he pushed up his glasses.

"How much longer?"

"Hard to say. The internet keeps going in and out with this weather. Your connection here is a lot faster than mine back home, but it's still slow."

"I'll see if the woman can do something about that," Vegeta grumbled. He straightened and walked out with quick strides. Before he got to the stairs though, the prince paused and raised a hand up to his temple, wincing. He was feeling the beginning of a bad migraine, but after some seconds, he forced himself to suck it up and move. Though he didn't go to Bulma first.

A few minutes later, Vegeta's hands were trembling as he stood in the bathroom of his bedroom. He popped open a bottle of migraine medication, and tossed as many pills as he dared into his mouth, swallowing them effortlessly. Tossing the bottle aside, the prince turned the faucet on, and then leaned his head under the stream, chugging the water directly for about ten seconds. His gloves, soaked with his son's blood, had long since been discarded. He had scrubbed his hands and forearms nearly raw to get the remaining blood off. But he could still smell it, and so he neurotically started scrubbing again.

Meanwhile, Goku was leaning against the doorway to Trunks' room. The Saiyan was unofficially on "Vegeta watch", something that was obvious to everyone except the prince himself. Goku was smart enough not to trail the prince directly, instead tracking his ki from afar. But he was still feeling unsettled with the display he'd seen from Vegeta earlier that night. He had stopped the prince from slaughter, but he was still concerned with his friend's state of mind, which was why he was peeking into Trunks' room now.

Trunks would recover on his own, but that knowledge did nothing to appease a very worried and stressed Bulma who was sitting next to him. Goten was on the other side of Trunks' bed, arms crossed over his chest while he glared at his father. It was as though Goten was daring Goku to order him to search for the Dragon Balls again. Goku observed his youngest son for a moment, but then turned his attention to his oldest friend.

"Bulma," he softly called out, getting her attention. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Yeah," Bulma sighed, running her hand through Trunks' hair one last time before standing up. She headed over to Goku, and they both walked out of the room together. "What is it?"

"We need to talk somewhere else," Goku quietly told her, his expression serious.

Bulma frowned a little, not wanting to be too far away from her kids, but she trusted him. She nodded her agreement. Two seconds later, they were both gone. Bulma glanced around, and recognized the darkened living room of Goku's home. Uncomfortable in the dark now, she unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself as she turned back to Goku.

"What is it?"

"It's about Vegeta. You have to talk to him."

"I know that he hasn't seen Trunks, but it's probably just because he feels guilty-"

"No, Bulma. _You _have to talk to him, because he's starting to…" Goku shook his head, making Bulma raise an eyebrow. She wasn't sure she even wanted to ask, but she did.

"He's starting to what, Goku?"

"He almost killed a ton of people tonight-"

"He _what_?" Bulma exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "When was this?"

"We were looking for you and the kids, and Vegeta snapped. He would've killed them too, had I not stopped him." Bulma sighed, suddenly craving a cigarette. Goku continued on, "I don't know how fast we can fix this alien problem, Bulma. You've got to ground Vegeta."

"Don't worry, I'll talk to him."

"Has anyone told you about what's really going on here?"

"I got the gist from the kid who possessed Trunks," Bulma angrily replied. Just remembering that situation – being left underwater in her jet-turned-submarine, not knowing what would happen to Trunks or Vegeta…it ranked among the worst moments of her life. And then to top it off, her five-year-old daughter had to go through it too. That was probably the worst part, and it was upsetting and infuriating.

"Vegeta hasn't told you?"

Bulma hesitated for a bit. After Goku found her and Bra, he teleported back over to the rest of the group to deliver the half senzu bean, and then teleported them all back to Capsule Corp, with the exception of Android 18 who had gone back home to take care of Marron. Goku had then teleported back to Bulma and Bra and brought them to Capsule Corp too. Doing it that way was specifically so Bra wouldn't see the condition her brother was in. The end result though was that Bulma and her husband had yet to even be in the same room, much less have a conversation.

"We haven't talked," she admitted. It wasn't entirely Vegeta's fault for that either. She certainly hadn't been in a rush to see him after seeing what he had done to Trunks.

Goku's brows furrowed a bit, but he nodded anyways. "Alright, I'll tell you what Gohan told me…"

A little later, Vegeta was restlessly prowling the compound, getting more and more pissed off by the second. The lights in the compound were all turned on, but they were flickering with the storm outside. It was making him paranoid, and he wanted Bulma to figure something out to keep the lights on. But now that he actually needed her, she wasn't there. The prince didn't notice that his fingers were twitching while he paced the compound like a caged lion.

Finally, almost fifteen minutes later, Goku and Bulma both teleported back into the compound. Vegeta whirled around and immediately headed in their direction. They were both talking quietly outside of Trunks' room when Vegeta stalked over to them.

"Where the hell were you?" the prince furiously demanded, his eyes locked on his wife as he approached.

"Don't worry, Vegeta," Goku cut in. "She was with me-"

"I was talking to my wife, not to you, so shut the fuck up!" Vegeta snapped. He then turned back to Bulma, and before she could get a word out, he seized her painfully by the arm and started dragging her down the hallway.

"Vegeta, let go!" Bulma yelled at him, finally yanking her arm free, though it was only because he allowed it. She looked back at Goku, who looked tense and ready to intervene, and shook her head at him. Her message was clear: she could handle her husband. Goku forced himself to remain where he was as the couple walked into their bedroom for privacy.

The door had barely closed behind them when Vegeta whirled around to face his wife, getting right in her face.

"You don't go _anywhere _without telling me first, understand?" he snarled, his voice escalating with every word.

"Goku was just telling me what's going on," Bulma explained, finally seeing what Goku was talking about. It was a look in Vegeta's eyes, a wild look she hadn't seen in a long time. He also looked beyond exhausted, with dark bags under his eyes that stood out on his pale skin. She reached up to her husband's face, but he growled and roughly batted her hand away.

"I don't give a shit what you were doing. You _won't _do it again," the prince threatened.

"Okay, I won't leave without giving you a heads up next time," Bulma calmly told him, ignoring the sting in her hand. "Just, calm down-"

"DON'T TELL ME TO FUCKING CALM DOWN WHEN THERE ARE SPIRITS FROM ANOTHER REALM HERE INTENT ON WRECKING MY LIFE!" Vegeta yelled in her face, making Bulma step back a little from him. He didn't notice as he pointed downstairs. With his dark blue uniform sleeves pushed up to his elbows, Bulma easily saw how raw his skin was from his elbow down to his fingers. "Now go down there and help Gohan trace that phone number, because that's the only goddamned lead we have!"

"Okay, I will, just take it easy," Bulma soothingly said, reaching for his face again.

Vegeta caught her hand before she could, and then immediately let go when he felt the bandage Krillin had helped her wrap around her hand. It was to seal the wound that his possessed son had inflicted by burning into her palm with his ki. In all likelihood, it would scar on her hand, as well as on Bra's. The thought of them both wearing scars that were a result of ki burns, just like him…he looked away. The tremors were back in his hands.

"Just do what I'm telling you to do," Vegeta distantly said, turning around to head back to the bathroom.

"Vegeta," Bulma said firmly, grasping the prince by the arm. He stopped, but kept his eyes on the bathroom door and away from her. She sighed, coming up closer to him. "Goku told me what happened. There are enough people getting hurt and dying from the virus. You can't-"

"Can't what? Add to the body count?"

Bulma rubbed his arm a little, choosing her words wisely. "I know it's not easy, but you have to stay in control. You're better-"

"Don't," Vegeta cut in, fixing her with a hard glare. "Don't tell me that I'm better than that, because it's not true."

"Yes, it is-"

"No, it's not. It's just what you want to believe, what _you_ want me to be." The prince yanked his arm free from her grasp as he turned to face her directly, leaning in so they were almost nose to nose. "You're my wife, my mate, the mother of my children. And for you and those two kids, I would kill every last human on this planet. That's who I am, that's what you married. Deal with it."

Vegeta pulled back enough to reach down his armor, and then he took out her bloodied wedding ring. He put it in her hand, forcing her to take it. Bulma had no words to say, and he didn't give her much of a chance to think up a response before he stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door hard behind him. A few seconds later, and she heard water running as he started scrubbing down his arms again.

"Vegeta, open this door, damn it!" Bulma shouted, pounding on the door. Vegeta ignored her while he kept trying to rid the smell of blood that was torturing him. "Fine. I'm going to help Gohan with that phone number, but YOU are going to check on the kids and stop dodging them. And we are NOT done with this discussion!"

Vegeta didn't respond, listening to her as she left their room. He just scrubbed away until his skin felt like it was burning off, all the while thinking about how the hell to end this nightmare.

Morning came and went, even though you couldn't tell by the view outside. It was still dark and storming, and all of West City was on hurricane warning, with everyone advised to stay indoors and seek shelter where they could. Despite Bulma's valiant efforts, the electricity was refusing to cooperate, and so they had resorted to flashlights (since no one felt comfortable with candles at the moment). She was currently working with Gohan, neither having slept a second. Behind them, they had a radio going with the newscast, but it was nothing but grim news.

"Your laptop isn't going to last much longer," Gohan warned. They had already burned his laptop battery into the ground, and Bulma's was next.

"It's alright," Bulma sighed, peering over his shoulder while cradling a hot cup of coffee. "I'm getting nothing from the towers. With the damn weather, no one's tracing anything. Got my dad making some calls for me. What have you got?"

"It's a pay-as-you-go cell phone. Untraceable and already disconnected. But it turns out that when you run a check on the number, you can see what kind of brand the phone is," Gohan offered. "The phone is a Lovewest phone."

"And there's only one place in the city that sells that cheap ass phone," Bulma immediately concluded. She immediately snatched up the cell phone she got for Vegeta years ago to make the necessary phone calls, since Trunks had wrecked her phone. "I know the owner of the place, so I'm going to see if he'll help me track the order. Maybe get an address that way."

"I'll give Vegeta the update then," Gohan volunteered. When Bulma remained silent, he got up and left the den. She sat down in the leather seat where he had just been, drumming her fingers impatiently while the radio droned on behind her.

"_Extreme precautions are being taken to prevent mass global hysteria, with the rate of the Code V virus exploding over the last few days. Almost a quarter billion people have now been diagnosed with the virus to date, with over 100 million casualties. Doctors and researchers around the world are working to the bone for a cure, but with the extreme weather breaking out all over the planet, religious groups are claiming it's armaggedon-"_

The transmission was lost to a burst of static. Bulma slammed her fist into the radio, turning it off. She immediately straightened when someone finally picked up on the other end.

"Hello, this is Bulma Briefs…hey there, don't mean to bother you with this weather, but I need some information about a phone you sold…"

Meanwhile, Gohan was heading upstairs, following Vegeta's ki signature. The prince was in his daughter's room, having relieved Krillin and Yamcha from their watch duty. Goku was leaning against the wall, but Vegeta was ignoring him as he focused on his daughter. The prince was squatting next to her bed, a position he had maintained for hours on end now. Bra was still in a deep sleep, undisturbed by the hellacious weather outside. Vegeta was lightly caressing her small bandaged hand, again and again. Goku remained silent, watching them the whole time.

Gohan quietly poked his head in, and Goku straightened at the sight of him. Vegeta turned his head a little, the first time he'd taken his eyes off that bandage on Bra's hand.

"Hey, I think we're getting somewhere. If Bulma can work some magic, we might have an address soon."

"How soon?" Vegeta asked, keeping his voice quiet so he wouldn't disturb his daughter, but there was no hiding the harshness in the question.

"I don't know. It's tough, we got slowed down because half the numbers we tried calling were all down from the weather. But hopefully within the next hour or so, something will fall into place."

Vegeta turned his attention back to Bra's hand. "Tell your brother to resume his search for the Dragon Balls. He's had enough time with Trunks. It's time to get back to work."

"Sure thing," Gohan agreed, before glancing over at his father. "How'd it go with Piccolo? Were you able to get in touch with him?"

"No," Goku shook his head. "He and Dende are too far away. I don't know where they went, because I can't get a read for Piccolo at all. Without feeling that ki signature, I can't teleport over to him."

"Well, maybe that's a good thing, huh?" Gohan offered, trying to be optimistic. "They might be getting somewhere-"

"What are you still doing in this room, boy?" Vegeta angrily interrupted.

"Oh, right. I'll go tell Goten to go ahead and look for the rest of the Dragon Balls."

Goku stayed silent while he sensed Gohan going to do like he said. He focused on his youngest son, feeling his ki and Trunks' ki too. After a moment of concentration, he glanced back at Vegeta. The prince looked drained, a distant look in his eyes while he stared at his daughter's hand.

"Trunks is awake," Goku quietly said. Vegeta stayed silent. He had already known that. "You should talk to him."

Vegeta had just opened his mouth to tell Goku to mind his own business, when they both heard Goten start yelling at his older brother. Goku frowned and went to see what was going on, but Vegeta suddenly stood up before he could.

"Stay here with her, Kakarot," Vegeta ordered. "I'll handle it."

Goku nodded, not easily dismissing the show of trust that Vegeta was giving him. The prince though already had other things on his mind. His eye was starting to twitch badly, and he could barely keep it open as he finally stalked up to his son's bedroom. In the doorway, Goten and Gohan were in a heated argument. Though the closer Vegeta got, the more obvious it became that the argument was one-sided.

"No, I'm not going on a goddamned errand for you guys!" Goten shouted in his older brother's face. "When I left Trunks after that party, he got jumped, and when I left him last night, Vegeta almost killed him! I'm not leaving him again!"

"Goten, we need your help," Gohan tried explaining, but his teenaged brother was having none of it.

"What the hell is going on here?" Vegeta angrily cut in, settling his intense gaze on Goten. "Did your brother not just tell you to go get the damn Dragon Balls?"

"Why don't YOU go get the fucking Dragon Balls!" Goten fearlessly yelled back at the Saiyan prince, much to Gohan's shock. "It's not like you're doing shit for Trunks anyways! You barely ever visited him when he was in the hospital, and you haven't even seen him once since you damn near killed him!"

"Goten," Trunks called out from inside the room.

Goten whirled back around and yelled at his friend, "No, don't defend him! All you ever do is defend him-"

Vegeta suddenly grabbed Goten and turned him back around, roughly pinning him to the doorframe with so much force the frame noticeably cracked. Gohan tensed, but one look of warning from Vegeta, and the hybrid didn't move. The prince then turned his attention to the teenaged boy who was glaring at him with so much anger, it was bordering on hatred.

"I will only tell you this once, boy, so listen good. If you're not looking for the Dragon Balls within the _next minute_, I will forget that my son considers you to be family, and you will answer to me personally. Understand?"

Goten and Vegeta stared each other down for a tense moment, before the teenager shoved the prince's hands off him in frustration. "Fine," he hissed, snatching back the Dragon Ball locator. "But if there's a fight coming, then I'm in. You don't take me out of it this time, Vegeta."

"Fine," Vegeta conceded. Goten stalked off, being sure to roughly bump against Vegeta's shoulder before he left. Gohan raised an eyebrow when the prince didn't react to that. Instead, the elder Saiyan raised a hand up to grip the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a few seconds to fight back his migraine.

"Hey, Vegeta, you alright?" Gohan worriedly asked.

"I'm fine," the prince responded, not opening his eyes.

"Dad?"

Vegeta forced his eyes open. It took a moment though before he worked up the nerve to redirect his gaze inside his son's room, over to the boy himself. There was a flashlight turned on and standing upright on his dresser, but even in the dim light, Vegeta could see the damage he had done to his son. He resisted the urge to leave. This was his doing, and he had to face it. Hesitantly, the prince walked further into the room, until he was standing next to his son's bed. Gohan took that as his cue to leave, and headed back downstairs to get back to work with Bulma.

"I need to train you more, mentally," Vegeta muttered after a moment. He kept his eyes around the bandages layering Trunks' stomach and chest, unable to look his son in the eye. "Possession is for the weak."

"Yeah…I fought it hard, believe me," Trunks said, forcing a small laugh.

The prince awkwardly shifted his weight from foot to foot. He cleared his throat. "Trunks…I…"

"It's cool, Dad. I already feel better," Trunks offered, knowing how his father felt. "I had access to his thoughts. I saw everything he saw…you know, when you were around my age…" Vegeta looked down, nodding. What he would've given not to have his son see him in his worst times. "It's alright though," Trunks continued, making it sound like it was nothing. "You're still my dad, and I know you didn't mean it. It's okay."

Vegeta nodded again, and then turned around and walked out without another glance. Trunks sighed when he watched him leave, resting his head back.

About ten minutes later, Bulma was making her way back upstairs with a flashlight in hand. They had lucked out – the cell phone was purchased with a credit card, and with the right strings, they would have a billing address soon. They just had to wait for the pieces to come together. She had no idea where this would lead to, but Vegeta was right. This was their only lead, and without it, they could do nothing but sit and wait for the next round of horrors. They had to push on this until they hit a dead end.

After checking on both of her kids for a bit, Bulma went looking for Vegeta. It didn't take very long to find him. When she entered their bedroom, she heard him vomiting in the bathroom. She frowned in concern and quickened her pace, going inside and coming up behind him. Vegeta was dry heaving, his body shaking while he leaned over the toilet. He looked like he could barely stand.

"I'm fine," he panted roughly as Bulma put one arm around his waist, and her other arm under his chest.

"When was the last time you had anything to eat?" Bulma demanded. Vegeta opened his mouth to reply, when the nausea kicked in again. But no matter how much he heaved and hacked, nothing was coming up. It was zapping his energy, and to his utter embarrassment, he found himself leaning into Bulma's arms for support. She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm gonna make you something quick downstairs so you can get some food in your stomach-"

"I said I'm FINE!" he yelled, forcing himself to straighten up and free himself from her. He leaned against the sink as he turned on the water, using it to rinse out his mouth. He already knew that it wasn't the fact that he hadn't had food over however many days. He'd been starved thousands of times before. No, it was those damn pills that were making him sick. It had been foolish to take them without anything in his stomach, and now he had paid the price by sacrificing precious energy he barely had.

"I'm not asking for your fucking permission, Vegeta!" she yelled back at him. "You haven't eaten in I don't know how long, and it's making you sick, so I don't want to hear it! We have enough on our hands-"

"Don't give me that bullshit," Vegeta sneered, shooting her an angry glare over his shoulder. "You and I are both dealing with different things here, so don't act like it's the same!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bulma asked him in exasperation. "Last time I checked, it's our family being targeted, and we have the same kids-"

"Those kids shouldn't even be here!"

She faltered at that, and briefly lost the ability to think. "What?…Why would you say-"

Vegeta scoffed in disgust, splashing water over his mouth. "You know that it's true, woman. The boy at the very least shouldn't know me, and the girl shouldn't exist. I should've fucking left this planet when I wanted to-"

Bulma sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Vegeta-"

"Do you know what Dende told me?" Vegeta snarled as he spun around to face her. Bulma instinctively backed up a little when he advanced on her. "He said that they _knew _I was going to have a family! They waited to target the three of you! I never wanted a family because of THIS!"

"Vegeta-"

"I'M the one who they want to hurt, and they're doing it by going through you and our children! I'M the one who's supposed to protect this family, but don't you see that I can't protect you from this? Don't you see what's happened already, to you, to the kids? Don't you see, that this is all my fault-"

"Sweetheart, stop," Bulma gently said, breaking him off in mid-rant when she took his flushed face between her cool hands. It was only then that Vegeta noticed she was wearing her wedding ring again. It was also the first time he noticed the tears on his face. He shook his head and angrily brushed at his face, embarrassed of such a weak display. But that was just it- this was _all _his doing. It was _his_ past catching up to him, and his innocent family was paying the price. The guilt was overwhelming and crippling, and now that he voiced it, he couldn't bottle it up anymore.

"I'm sorry, for all of this," he barely managed to say, reaching up and covering his burning eyes with one hand, unable to stop fresh tears from coming.

Bulma pulled him into a tight hug, and forced herself to keep her own composure when she felt Vegeta's hot tears on her neck. It was hard; this was the first time in all the years she'd known him that he had broken down in front of her like this. Nonetheless, she didn't push him to pull it together. It was best for him to just get it out of his system. And so she just massaged the back of his neck, giving him however long he needed.

When she finally felt his breathing even out and his shuddering come to a stop, Bulma pulled back and put her hands on the sides of his neck, forcing them to make eye contact. Vegeta's reddened eyes were almost hazy with profound exhaustion, but she didn't care as she firmly addressed him.

"Listen to me, and listen good. It doesn't matter how or why this is happening, so you're going to stop blaming yourself right now. I knew good and damn well who you were and what you had done when I married you. And I also know what they're trying to do to you now. They're trying to break you, Vegeta. You don't let them, you hear me?"

Vegeta nodded, feeling some of his strength returning while he impatiently wiped at his face. Bulma let him go and he turned back around to the sink, splashing cold water on his face. The prince slowly cracked his neck while she rested her hand on his back.

"What's the status?" he asked, once he was certain his voice was back under control.

"Not much longer now. Just enough time for me to make you something fast to eat."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. Of all the things she could be worried about. He shook his head, but had no time to turn down her offer before Gohan walked into their bedroom and called out to them.

"Guys, the bank information came through, and I finally got an address."

Bulma and Vegeta were both in the bedroom moments later, each one on either side of Gohan. The Saiyan hybrid was holding out a pack of papers in front of him with one hand, aiming a flashlight down at it with his other hand.

"The card checked out to a Mr. Tyler Xhao at this address in Satan City. I managed to catch Videl online for a minute, and I gave her the address. Her dad knows a bunch of cops in the city personally. They e-mailed me a ton of information on the property, and the family too-"

Vegeta immediately snatched it all out of Gohan's hands. He leafed through everything, scowling while he did. Gohan shone the light for him so he could keep reading.

"So they haven't been missing after all," Vegeta concluded.

"No, they haven't. I think they settled the missing persons report, but the paperwork was just never cleared."

"Hn."

"The guy, Tyler. That's the guy that died at East City Hospital, right, Vegeta?"

"Yeah, that was him," Bulma cut in, pushing Gohan aside a little so she could see what Vegeta was looking at. "But maybe we could meet his wife. She apparently still lives with him."

"How much do you think his woman knows though?" the prince mumbled, looking for new information that he might have missed the first time around.

"Well we won't know just standing around here, now will we?" Bulma responded, immediately getting the full attention of both men standing with her.

"No," Vegeta growled, shaking his head. "Absolutely not. I will handle this alone. You're staying here."

"The hell I am!" Bulma scoffed. "These things want to possess my son, traumatize my daughter, and break my husband? I don't freaking think so. No one messes with my family and gets away with it."

"Are you deaf now, woman? Did you not hear what I just said? You will stay here with your braindead friends, and you will tend to the children, especially the boy-"

"Well, my dad and I can stay here with Bra and Trunks, and you can both go. Besides, Yamcha just left to check up on his girlfriend, and Krillin left to check on 18 and Marron. They'll both be back," Gohan suggested, earning a small smile from Bulma and a downright vicious glare from Vegeta.

"Great, it's settled then. Just give me a minute, and then we'll to go," Bulma informed them, and then quickly left the bedroom, snatching up a flashlight on her way out.

"Loud mouthed fool," Vegeta muttered under his breath, but he wasn't completely opposed to the thought of Bulma coming with him. The truth was that he would've packed up all three of them and not let any out of his sight for even a second, if he could have. But he had to go investigate this new lead, and there was no way he could bring Trunks along, injured as he was. Bra had already seen more than enough. Bulma coming along with him gave him at least a little peace of mind.

"If you need any help, just raise your power," Gohan informed the prince. "My dad and I-"

"-will _not_ leave my children alone. No matter what I do or how high my power gets. In fact, go with Trunks right now. He's been alone long enough. Bulma and I will handle this alone. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it," Gohan agreed. He hesitated a moment, before adding, "We're all here for you and your family. Whatever you need, Vegeta. I hope you know that."

The prince nodded, frowning as Gohan patted him on the shoulder. Soon the prince was alone again, sensing Gohan going over to Trunks' room. Goku was still in Bra's room. Vegeta slowly exhaled in relief. He couldn't have possibly asked for better protection for both of his children.

Unfortunately, saving his family in the long run wasn't so simple.

* * *

"I could've flown us over to this city."

"It's alright. My baby can handle this weather," Bulma distantly said, now maneuvering through the storm in her usual hover jet. Vegeta eyed her carefully, noticing how tight her grip was on the controls. Her knuckles were almost white.

"You alright being in another of your jets after what happened?" he asked after a few tense moments of silence.

"Yeah. I've got you here. I'm okay," she assured him. She glanced down at the untouched loaf of bread in Vegeta's lap, which she had quickly swiped on their way out. "You better eat that. We're almost there."

"Hn. Don't even know what the hell I expect to get from this," Vegeta mumbled, ripping off a small piece of the bread. "Might just be another dead end."

"I don't know. Everything's been okay since we got back home with the kids."

"The alien spirit said they needed time to collect more energy."

"To drain you and the rest of the guys of your ki? Yeah, I'd say they need a hell of a lot of energy. So many people have already died-"

"I know." The prince slowly chewed on his small piece of bread, already knowing he wouldn't touch the rest of it. He glanced out of the window, surveying where they were, even though it was tough to see with the pouring rain. "It should be a few blocks ahead."

"The flooding isn't as bad here. It shouldn't be too hard to find a landing spot…"

"Just land right here. According to the map, we should be fairly close."

"Alright."

Moments later, Bulma landed her jet, and they both climbed out. Vegeta was still in his full uniform save for his gloves, but Bulma's designer shoes, socks, and jeans from the knee down were instantly drenched. For the first time in a while, however, she couldn't care less. She splashed her way around her jet towards her husband, who was leaning into the jet. Bulma blinked in surprise when she saw that Vegeta was digging into her purse, which she had just grabbed as instinct.

Finally, Vegeta straightened, holding her loaded gun in his hand. He extended it to her.

"Until this is over, you carry this weapon on you at _all _times, and you use it on anybody who crosses the line," he ordered, making eye contact with her to make sure she accepted.

"Alright," Bulma relented, taking the gun from him. She made sure the safety was engaged and tucked the weapon into the waistline of her jeans while Vegeta began scouring the neighborhood. Not as rough as the last area he'd ventured to with Goku, but far more isolated. The houses weren't as run-down, but they were much smaller and looked as though they would cave in to the merciless weather. Most of them seemed abandoned, and there was only one lone car parked on all the blocks he could see. With a ki sweep, he found that there were only a handful of humans on the block.

"It's deserted here," he grumbled, scanning the area over again.

"Probably just the weather. Hurricane warning's probably got everyone rattled and heading to higher ground. The address is right. It has to be on this street."

"Hn." Vegeta raised a hand to his eyes to help him see in the rain, and then turned back to his wife. "Alright, woman. You stay close behind me."

"Alright," Bulma replied, but she said the word differently this time. She was only semi-agreeing with him. Still, he had no time to dwell.

The prince quickly sloshed his way over to the first house he could see, where he could detect a ki. Meanwhile, Bulma got close enough to the next house to check the address. He shot her a nasty glare for already ignoring his order, but then he turned his attention to the matter at hand.

"Not this one," she called back to her husband, tucking her hair under her Capsule Corp baseball cap, which she had grabbed as a last-minute means of protection against the weather. It barely helped. She looked back towards Vegeta expectantly. The prince looked through the dark window of his house, checked the address to make sure, and then he disappeared and phased in right behind Bulma.

"Not that one either," he growled, startling his wife as she spun around to face him.

"What address did you see?"

"1008."

"We're looking for 1012. It must be that place over there," Bulma told him, gesturing over to their right. There was only one place left on the block, and then a stretch of endless patches of concrete and grass beyond that, until some abandoned stores started up a few miles away.

"I'm not getting any ki signature from that house. Place is empty," Vegeta snarled in frustration, growing angrier by the second that this was likely another dead end. He paced a little bit, and then abruptly whirled around and slammed his fist through the glass window of the house they were in front of while he screamed, "Goddamnit!"

"Vegeta, stop it!" Bulma hissed, pulling him back away from the window. He furiously broke free of her grasp, and then leapt over the small patio rail to quickly stalk over to the only house in question. Bulma released a shaky breath, and then went after him.

"Hurry the hell up, female," Vegeta ordered as Bulma ran and splashed behind him to catch up. "Might as well check the shit out, even if it's deserted-"

"Wait," Bulma interrupted, her hand landing on his arm in a firm grip and forcing him to stop. He looked back at her, but her blue eyes were focused on the house.

"What is it?" he demanded, frowning at the look on her face.

"It's not deserted."

"Yes it is, I can't feel-"

"Someone is in there. Look."

Vegeta immediately turned his attention back to the house they were in front of. It was nowhere near as large as the one he'd investigated with Goku. A small, one flat little home, looking as though it had survived centuries of wear and tear. He scanned over the place, until his gaze settled on the lone window. Through the rain, Vegeta saw fast movement, and then felt the sensation of someone watching them.

"No energy or ki signature. It's either some kind of android, or it's an avenger," he quietly said.

"And by 'avenger' you actually mean, 'ghost', right?" Bulma clarified, swallowing a little bit as she came up closer to her husband, peeking over his shoulder towards the window where she had caught a silhouette moving.

Vegeta looked back at her and growled, "Go back to the hover jet and get the hell out of here-"

"Not without you," Bulma insisted. The prince exhaled through his nose, shaking his head.

"Fine," Vegeta conceded, wishing he had stood his ground back home and not let her come. He couldn't send her away alone now in this weather. If this weather was a result of the dark avengers crossing into his realm, as he was now suspecting, he didn't trust them not to do something to kill his wife along the way. She'd already survived one accident. With no more senzu beans, she wouldn't survive another. "Just stay close to me then."

He didn't need to tell her twice. She stayed so close to him that she might as well have just hopped onto his back. Bright blue ki was lighting up between Vegeta's fingers as he slowly came up to the wall next to the door. His ki flared up around him as he shouted out.

"If anyone is in there, show yourself before I go in there and drag you out!"

He and Bulma fell into complete silence as they both strained to hear any movement inside the home. Vegeta was also straining his hearing to make sure that no one was leaving through the back. They were both paying such close attention that both of them were visibly startled when the door suddenly flew open, with so much force it crashed against the wall right beside them. Vegeta cursed as he instinctively backed up, his ki rupturing into his powerful Super Saiyan aura. Bulma stopped touching him lest she burn her hands raw, though she did reach behind her, her hand wrapping tightly around the handle of her gun.

"You have three seconds to get out here and face me!" Vegeta shouted, squaring himself up for battle. "One…two…"

He gave no further warning before he charged straight for the open doorway. The next thing that Bulma knew, Vegeta cried out in pain before he was violently launched backwards, landing hard on his back in the middle of the street.

"Vegeta!" Bulma shrieked in alarm. She was going to run over to check him when she heard someone speaking from inside.

"I'll talk to you, girl, but not him. Aliens and the dead ain't welcomed here, and your Saiyan piece of shit husband is damn sure not welcomed."

Bulma was still against the wall, not having a clear view inside the doorway to see who was speaking. It was definitely a female voice though. She glanced back over at her husband, who was getting up to his feet with more effort than it normally would've taken him. The prince looked frazzled and beyond enraged as he turned to face the house again, both of his fists tightly clenched as his power suddenly skyrocketed. He growled and then suddenly phased in right in front of the doorway, a look of surprise flashing over his face. He tried stepping inside, but was visibly shocked with some kind of current that forced him to stagger backwards.

"I can't get in," he snarled, restlessly pacing back and forth on the small, worn down patio. His mind was racing almost too fast for him to process anything. Someone _was _inside, someone alive. How the hell could he not sense them? He shifted over and slammed his fist against the wall with brutal strength, to no avail.

"Vegeta," Bulma called to him, drawing her husband's attention. "Whoever is in there said-"

"I heard what the bitch said but you aren't going in there alone, you fucking hear me?" Vegeta screamed at her in frustration, before turning to look inside the small home. But all he could make out was darkness. "Whoever is in there, you better come out here or let me in there, or I'm going to burn this whole damn city to the ground-"

"Your violence is what got you into this mess in the first place, darling. Hate to break it to you, but it ain't gonna get you out of it. I said I'd talk to the girl, but if you don't want to, then just sit tight and see what happens when these things get even stronger. Your call."

"Okay," Bulma agreed with no hesitation. "I'll go in and talk to you, and my husband will stay out here."

"Have you lost your mind, woman?" Vegeta yelled, marching over to get right into his wife's face. "You aren't stepping one goddamned foot in there unless I go in there with you!"

"Vegeta, listen to me," Bulma pleaded, putting her hands on his chest. "Someone is in there, and they know something-"

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT THEY KNOW!" he roared, his veins visibly pulsing. "This isn't a fucking negotiation! You aren't-"

"Hey, breathe, okay?" Bulma told him, moving her hands up to his face. She brushed some of the wet hair out of his eyes. "Remember what I told you back home."

Vegeta was breathing heavily as he studied her eyes for a moment. He shook his head, a look coming over his face that was a mixture of anger, frustration, and a hint of fear. "Bulma, I can't protect you if you go in there- if anything happens-"

"I can take care of myself," she assured him. "Trust me. We need this. You know we do. It's why we even came here. I'll be okay."

The prince stared at her, and then pulled her into a tight hug against him. She hugged him back while he whispered so quietly in her ear, that even someone standing right next to them wouldn't have heard, intense storm or not.

"If you have to use the gun, shoot to kill. No hesitating, no negotiating. Don't make eye contact and don't let them get a word in to change your mind. Aim and fire."

Bulma nodded, and then whispered back, "Don't leave."

"Never."

Vegeta let her go, and then went back over to the door. He tried peering inside, but when he didn't see anything, he loudly called out, "She'll go in, but if I even think for ONE SECOND that she's in any kind of danger, I WILL find a way inside and rain a hell down on you the likes of which you have never seen!"

"We want the same thing, Saiyan. She ain't gonna be in any danger here."

Bulma walked around Vegeta, now facing the entry. She anxiously looked inside, not seeing anything except darkness. She exchanged a look with her husband. Vegeta looked visibly uncomfortable, but he finally gave a reluctant nod, giving her the go-ahead.

Taking a deep breath, Bulma slowly walked inside.


	14. Sending a message

**A/N: Oof, sorry about the wait. This story's getting more and more difficult to write as we go along. It's not in "Point of No Return" difficulty land yet, but it's getting there. Anyways, thanks for the patience and I hope those of you who celebrate Easter had an enjoyable one. **

* * *

Bulma's eyes slowly adjusted to her dark surroundings as she walked into the small home. Vaguely, she started to make out furniture that looked like it hadn't been used in decades. There was an abandoned table, and an ancient-looking bookcase against the wall that was gathering cobwebs. Even though her pace was steady, there was a slight tremor to her hand as she reached back for her gun again. She couldn't see anyone there, but she still felt eyes on her. She wasn't alone.

"Woman, what the hell is going on?" Vegeta demanded. The prince was standing at the doorway, both hands braced firmly on the doorframe. He was squinting as he tried looking inside. From his view, he still couldn't see anything, but that wasn't what was making his blood pressure rise. As soon as Bulma walked in through the door, it was like her ki signature dropped off the grid. Vegeta growled, paced a little more in paranoia, and then abruptly shouted out, "Bulma! I can't fucking sense you, so you better answer me before I rip this whole damn-"

"It's okay, Vegeta, I'm alright," she called back to him, even as she slowly pulled out her gun. Bulma gripped it tightly with both hands, and then took a deep breath. Her voice was loud and strong as she spoke. "Who's in here? Where are you?"

"I'm here, wondering what you're gonna do with that gun," that female voice said again, startling Bulma and making her shriek in fright. She almost fired her gun while spinning towards the voice. Squinting through the dark house, she made out the dark silhouette of a woman in a corner. Bulma cursed when the silhouette moved, and frantically backed up, tripping over her own feet and landing sitting down on the floor. She quickly recovered, aiming her gun right at the silhouette in front of her.

Just as Bulma was about to fire, a match was suddenly struck, lighting up the corner of a small kitchen and showing that the silhouette belonged to an older woman. She had jet black hair streaked white from her age, but her eyes were what caught Bulma's attention. Hard and intense, enough to rival Vegeta on his best day. The soft yellow light from the flame made her ragged features look formidable. The woman stared Bulma down for several tense moments, and then moved the match over to light a small lantern. She then shook the match to put it out.

"So, girl, you're willing to shoot a damn ghost, but not willing to shoot a human being?" the woman mocked.

"Now listen here, creepy old lady, I don't know who the hell you are, but you better start talking! What the hell is going on?" Bulma demanded as she got back up to her feet. She kept her gun aimed on the woman in front of her, the tremor gone from her hands now as she disengaged the safety.

"You're not a killer like your husband. We both know that."

"My husband isn't the only one willing to do whatever it takes to protect our family."

"That's true, but I bet he's the only one actually capable of following through," the woman snorted a bit. Bulma faltered a bit, but kept her gun steady. "Besides, I invited you here, into my home, so we can solve your little problem together. I reckon it'd be a show of good faith, if you put that weapon away."

It only took a few seconds before Bulma lowered her gun. She reluctantly tucked it into the back of her jeans, and then nodded. "Alright, there, I put it away. Now, who are you and what the hell do you know about what's happening?"

"To answer your first question, my name is Mia Xhao," the woman replied, raising up her lantern as she turned around. Bulma took a few hesitant steps closer to see what Mia was doing, and then flinched back in surprise when the older woman bent down and roughly flung open a hidden door on the floor. Visible dust rose up, and Bulma caught sight of stairs heading down into darkness. Mia turned back to her expectantly. "To answer your second question, we'll have to talk where no one can hear. Not even the dead. That's down here."

Alarms were going off in Bulma's mind, and she unconsciously took a step back. This all suddenly reeked of a trap, and she looked back towards the doorway, barely able to make out Vegeta's silhouette through the dark and heavy rain behind him. As though sensing that her eyes were on him, Vegeta called out to her.

"Woman! What is she talking about? What is going on?"

Bulma hesitated, and then looked back towards Mia. "Will Vegeta hear us?"

"Nope." Mia studied the indecision in the other woman, and then knowingly stated, "Tch. You don't trust the Saiyan not to start killing everything that moves if we're gone for even a few minutes, do ya?"

A thought along that vein had indeed been forming in Bulma's thoughts. She knew that her husband was more stressed now than he had ever been during all his years on Earth, and she didn't want to put him into a situation where he couldn't sense or hear her. And, truth be told, she was extremely uncomfortable being on the flip side of that situation too. If this _was _a trap, he wouldn't hear her if she screamed for him.

But hearing Mia question Vegeta out loud, it rid those thoughts from Bulma's mind completely. Quite frankly, it pissed her off. Mia didn't know the first thing about the man her husband was. Bulma glared at the older woman, before yelling out to her husband.

"I'll be right back, Vegeta!"

"Fine," she heard the prince snarl back. He had heard Mia's words too, and for the moment, would not give her the satisfaction of being right. Vegeta resumed his restless pacing, struggling to keep himself contained. "You have fifteen minutes. One second longer and I am finding a way in!"

"Guess we better hurry then. Don't want to keep your _husband _waiting," Mia nastily said.

Bulma bit her tongue, neither understanding nor liking the hostility the elder woman had towards Vegeta. But Mia was somehow gifted enough to keep a powerful, full-blooded Saiyan male from entering her home. There was no telling what else she was capable of doing, and so Bulma didn't retort. She just watched anxiously as Mia descended the staircase with one wrinkled hand holding the lantern over her head. With each step down Mia took, Bulma was left in a little more darkness. Finally, she summoned up her courage, and followed her down the stairs. There was no hand rail, so she kept both hands on the cold, stone walls on either side of her for balance.

Bulma was only slightly relieved to find that there was more light downstairs. They were in a large room completely sealed in stone, with lit candles on different shelves built into the wall. There were books on the shelves, and jars filled with things she didn't recognize. Regardless, it made her feel uncomfortable. In the middle of the room was a table filled with a mess of different books and gadgets. Mia stalked up to the table and with one swipe of her arm, cleared it off completely by sending everything crashing to the floor. She then set her lantern on the table.

"Got yourself one hell of a problem, don't you, Bulma?"

Bulma glared at her. "What do you know about it?"

"More than I ever wanted to," Mia grumbled, going over to a wall filled with shelves. She plucked out a few books, letting them topple to the floor while she searched for something. "I saw all of this coming a long time ago. Tyler and I both tried warning ya but it didn't do any good."

"What do you mean, you saw this coming?" Bulma demanded in bewilderment.

"I mean what I said. I saw it. I come from a line of practitioners."

"Practitioners?"

Mia chuckled humorlessly before pulling out an old and dusty crystal ball the size of a basketball from the shelf. "Yep, that's what my family called it. We were all specialists in magic. It was in our blood. We could use our gifts for good or evil. I used my gift to do readings on folks wanting to see their future. Made my living that way. It's how I met my husband, Tyler." Mia placed her crystal ball carefully on the table next to the lantern, and then made eye contact with Bulma. "He died at the hospital, didn't he?" It wasn't quite a question.

"That's what I heard," Bulma reluctantly admitted, uncomfortable breaking such heavy news to a woman she didn't even know. "I'm sorry."

"Done told that idiot to have patience, and not to get involved just yet." Mia shook her head while staring down at the table. "He was a practitioner too. Could've used the bastard's help now, but he just _had_ to rush it."

"Rush it?" Bulma asked, tilting her head in confusion. "What-"

"Listen, we're running out of time," Mia roughly interrupted, reaching for the crystal ball. She quickly wiped the dust off it. "I'm assuming you're more interested in stopping the spirits than striking up a friendship with me, am I right?"

Though she wanted more answers, Bulma couldn't argue with that logic. She leaned forward, trying not to sound too eager, but it crept into her voice anyways. "You know how to stop them then?"

"Sure do."

"Oh, thank god," Bulma sighed in relief, allowing herself to feel a sliver of hope. "What do we have to do?"

"Simple," Mia held her hands over the crystal ball, and slowly, a clouded image began swirling. "Get rid of your biggest threat."

The two women stood in a tense silence for a few seconds, both of them watching as the image began to gain more detail. At first, Bulma didn't recognize the figure that started to form, but when more color came through, she realized she was staring at an image of her husband. Vegeta was sitting down against a wall, both of his knees drawn up a little bit. The prince was leaning forward, both hands clenching fistfuls of his hair, as though keeping that grip was the only thing letting him keep a grip on his very sanity.

"That's your husband upstairs. I imagine he doesn't get into that position when others can see, is that right?"

"This…is Vegeta right now?" Mia couldn't form a response before Bulma furiously yelled, "What the hell are you doing to him!"

"Me?" Mia snorted. "Honey, the only thing I'm doing to the Saiyan is keeping him out of my house. Fact is that he doesn't know if you're alive or dead right now. It's driving your boy a bit mad as you can see."

"I have to go talk to him and make sure he's alright," Bulma worriedly said, quickly heading back towards the steps. She didn't make it to the second step before her arm was seized in a hard grip.

"You can't," Mia ordered, leaving no room for argument. "Don't you see it yet, girl? Your husband _is _the threat that must be eliminated."

"What?" Bulma asked numbly, blinking a few times while she tried processing the words. But they didn't make any sense. She eyed the older woman warily, wondering if she was insane. "Vegeta's not a threat-"

"There's only one way this story ends, Bulma, and it's with you and both of your kids dead. Who do you think is going to be the one to deliver the death blows?"

"Well it damn sure won't be Vegeta!" Bulma yelled practically in her face, before yanking her arm free. She spun around and marched up the stairs, certain that Mia Xhao was off her rocker. She was about halfway up when Mia called up to her.

"If you're so sure about that, then how do you explain what happened to your son last night?"

Bulma froze. A chill went up her spine, before she turned back around on the steps and looked down towards the older woman, who was framed with the soft light of the candles behind her. It felt like she was looking down at a demon in hell. But, Mia Xhao wasn't the one who nearly beat her son to death the night before…

"That…was an accident," Bulma weakly argued in defense of her husband. "Vegeta didn't-"

"Mean to almost kill your son? I doubt the boy will ever _'mean it'_. But if you think the spirits are not already thinking of how to force your husband into another…accident…you're dead wrong. You take your chances, girl, but if you're as smart as everyone says, then you know that I'm right."

Mia then withdrew back into the candle-lit stone room, out of sight. Bulma remained where she was for a moment, and then climbed up a few more steps to experiment. There was nothing keeping her there, no external force keeping her in. She was free to walk out to her husband, leave and never come back.

Instead, she went back downstairs. Mia was back behind the old table, no surprise in her features at seeing the other woman joining her again. She barely spared Bulma a glance before looking back down at the crystal ball in front of her.

"Vegeta is surrounded by darkness," she grimly muttered, waving one hand over her crystal ball. "It follows him every step he takes. It has for damn near twenty years. Take a look and see for yourself."

Bulma hesitated, and then reluctantly lowered her gaze back down to the crystal ball. Vegeta was still in his same position, but slowly, other figures began to take shape through the heavy rain. Dark shadows, disfigured silhouettes. First two, then four, and then more and more. They were surrounding the oblivious prince, staring at him with their hate-filled soulless red eyes.

As though sensing they were being watched, all the shadows simultaneously turned away from Vegeta and stared right at Bulma through the crystal ball. The image then swirled and vanished into darkness.

"Oh god," she whispered, horrified at what she had seen.

"There are millions of them. A real practitioner can sense their energy. I've sensed 'em since they first arrived on this planet almost twenty years ago. I knew they were coming years before the spirits even got here. Just chance that Tyler asked me as a joke to look into your future to see how Capsule Corp would expand. That's when I saw the darkness in your future. The hatred of these spirits is beyond anything I've ever seen. I know, because sometimes, I can glean thoughts from one of the spirits…" For the first time since Bulma had been down there, Mia's mask fractured with hurt.

"Your daughter is one of them now, isn't she," Bulma softly said, studying the other woman carefully. "My son says he's seen her."

"Yes, that's not surprising…she's hated your son his entire life."

"What? But why?" Bulma asked in bewilderment. "Trunks has never done anything-"

"-except be born. Your son's birth played a key role in all of this, though I'm not sure what that is."

It only took a few seconds before Bulma pieced it together, and then she closed her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, that's right. Trunks was the only reason Vegeta initially stayed with us. If he wouldn't have been born, Vegeta would've been long gone by now."

"Yes, and the darkness would've gone with him, sparing everyone on Earth from this rampage."

"Sparing your daughter too."

"Kegan doesn't matter right now," Mia snapped, her eyes flaring with intensity. "The truth is that these things are here now and they will never, EVER leave your family in peace. They ain't gonna stop until they've had their vengeance, and people will just keep on dying. Everyone who dies from their virus becomes one of 'em. It makes 'em stronger, and eventually, they'll drive the boy mad enough to kill you and the children."

"But Vegeta would never do that, unless he was possessed, and he's way too strong for possession," Bulma insisted, still refusing to believe it. "He loves me, and he loves our kids-"

"Of course he loves you and his kids. None of this would be happening if he didn't." Mia paused, watching how the younger woman's features took on a sick pallor. "I'm real sorry this happened to you, Bulma. You're a good woman. You're also smart and logical. Surely you see that there's only one way to make this all stop. Vegeta is dangerous and he has to die."

"No," Bulma whispered, faintly shaking her head. Then in a stronger voice, she added, "No. There _has_ to be another way."

"There ain't no other way. This is all to hurt him. If the Saiyan's dead, they got no business here anymore."

"My friend said there might've been some kind of mineral that was used to bring them into our realm…maybe-"

"Even if that was true, it would take time to figure out how to send them back where they came from. They would never give you the time. It's not worth the risk. Sorry, girl, but his death is the only card you can play. Kill him, Bulma, and end this once and for all."

"I'm not going to fucking kill my husband!" Bulma shrieked, horrified with the mere suggestion.

"You have to!" Mia shouted back at her. "He can't die by suicide! Suicide might piss them off, make 'em think Vegeta one-upped 'em. They might keep going with the virus here on Earth, just to get back at him in the afterlife. It's too much of a risk. No, he has to die another way, a way that is painful enough that the spirits are satisfied with how much he's suffered. The only way I can think of, is if _you_ kill him."

"Never."

"He trusts you. If you betray him-"

"NEVER. You hear me, sister? I would NEVER do that to Vegeta! I love him-"

"You love him enough to die for him?"

The answer was immediate, with no doubt. "Yes."

"You love him enough to make your kids die for him?" Bulma opened her mouth and faltered at the last second. "You love him that much? More than your son and your daughter?"

"It's not – you can't – you can't quantify –"

"It's a simple yes or no, honey. You either take the Saiyan out yourself, dish out your own punishment so the spirits leave you, your kids, and the rest of Earth's population alone. Or you do nothing, and let this happen."

The crystal ball swirled back to life, like there was a sandstorm inside the glass raging to break free. It cleared up to show Trunks' broken and bloodied body sprawled out at Vegeta's feet, with Bra not too far away. Bulma could only see the prince from behind while he stared down at his children. Finally, Vegeta turned around to face her directly, his eyes lost to madness as he raised a glowing hand up in her direction. The image then swirled out of sight.

Not able to watch anymore, Bulma turned around, went over to the staircase, and then sat down on the bottom step with a completely distraught look on her face. She removed her Capsule Corp baseball cap, rubbing her forehead with her free hand. She would do anything to protect her kids, but kill her husband? She could barely even stand seeing Vegeta in pain. Her brilliant mind was racing for a different solution when Mia spoke again, her voice softer.

"Mother to mother, let me tell you, I had a similar choice back in the day. They warned Tyler and me to stop trying to get in touch with you. They threatened our daughter's life. My girl had nothing to do with any of this. We tried to outsmart them, and we lost. Losing Kegan destroyed me and Tyler for a long time. Don't make the same mistake I did. The future is never set in stone. You can still change how the story ends, Bulma."

"Yeah. I can," Bulma quietly agreed, releasing a deep breath as she gathered up her resolve. She put her cap back on, determination in her features. "And I will."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Capsule Corp, Goku was trying his absolute best to soothe a very upset little girl. Bra had woken up a minute ago, exhausted, scared, and utterly inconsolable. She wanted Bulma, and she wanted her _now_. So when Goku told her that her mother wasn't there but would be back soon, Bra promptly burst into tears while she threw a fit, screaming that she wanted Bulma. Goku was hands-down the world's most talented fighter, but he was sorely unequipped to fight this battle.

"Hey, I know!" Goku exclaimed, trying desperately to calm the little girl down. Bra's face was bright red while she continued bawling, and he could feel her ki rising fast in response. "How about I get you something to eat? That'll make you feel better, right?"

"NO!" Bra shrieked with a pitch inherited from her mother. "I WANT MY MOMMY! _NOW!_"

"I know," Goku gently said, scratching his head in utter confusion. "She'll be back soon, I swear-"

"Hey, what's all the screaming about?"

Bra and Goku both looked over, barely making out Goten coming into the dimly lit bedroom. To Goku's shock, Bra almost immediately started pulling herself together at the sight of her brother's best friend. She had always been fond of Goten, having a small crush on the teenager who always showed her kindness and played card games with her.

"Nothing now, it seems," Goku answered, eyeing Bra thoughtfully for a moment while she rubbed at her eyes. "Bulma and Vegeta left to take care of some things. Did you do what Vegeta asked you to do?"

"Yeah, I need to talk to you about that," Goten muttered. He glanced over at Bra and offered her a smile. "Hey, do you want to see Trunks?"

"No," Bra immediately replied, still brushing at her tears.

"You scared of him?" Goten knowingly asked. Bra nodded, and he nodded back. "Yeah, I'd be scared of him too. But he's back to normal now and he won't hurt you. I promise he won't. You trust me?"

Bra nodded, before meekly asking, "Will you come with me?"

"Absolutely. Come on, let's go."

Goten extended his hand to Bra, and she quickly got off her bed and went over to him, gripping onto his hand tightly. Goten motioned for his father to walk with them, and Goku did as they left Bra's room and walked down the darkened hallway.

_What do you think you're doing, Goten? _Goku asked his son telepathically. The teenager was surprised hear real anger in his father's mental voice. _You know the condition Trunks is in-_

_She can handle it. Besides, Trunks DOES want to see her, and it's not like you were having much luck handling her. They need each other right now._

Goku shook his head. _Vegeta's probably going to kill me for this, but alright. Now, where are the Dragon Balls?_

_Yeah, about that…I got three of the Dragon Balls, and then they just randomly turned to stone. _

"They WHAT_?" _Goku practically shouted, startling both half-Saiyans with him. Goku quickly forced a friendly smile on his face as he looked down at his friends' daughter. "Sorry about that, Bra."

"Well, we're here," Goten announced, easily distracting Bra when they stood in front of his best friend's room. Trunks had taken as many pain killers as he dared, and was now sitting up in bed, dealing with his injuries like he'd seen his father do thousands of times- just sucking it up and moving on. He and Gohan had been in the middle of a quiet conversation, when they both looked over. Trunks straightened up a bit at the sight of his little sister, while Goten gently nudged her forward.

Goku came to stand right next to Goten, both of them watching as Bra hesitantly approached her brother.

_Did you see them turn to stone? _

_Yeah. _Goten scowled. _That's not good, I'm guessing._

_No. It's definitely not good. Something must have happened to Dende and Piccolo…_

_Can you IT over to them?_

_No. I can't sense them. _

_What are we going to do, Dad? _

_I don't know._

_But how are we going to wish all those people-_

_I don't know, Goten. Stay here with Trunks and Bra, _Goku ordered. _I'll be right down the hall._

He made eye contact with Gohan, motioning for him to step out so they could speak in private. Gohan got up and left the room with his father while Goten settled himself against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

Oblivious to that exchange, Trunks was staring at his sister anxiously. He wasn't much better at expressing guilt and regret than his father, but he had to do it now. Though it wasn't technically his fault, he hated himself for hurting his mother and his sister. He frowned a bit while Bra studiously examined the bandages on his upper body.

"What happened to you, Trunks?" Bra quietly asked as she finally made eye contact with her brother. Trunks shrugged carelessly, ignoring the pain that flared up when he did.

"Dad didn't really like what I did to you and Mom." Trunks forced a chuckle.

"Oh." Bra's lips pursed a little as she added, "I kinda didn't like it either."

"I know."

"You scared me," she softly admitted.

"I know. I'm so, so sorry, Bra," Trunks admitted, clenching the bedsheets at his side tightly to keep his voice steady. Much like she had cracked seeing her father hurting, Bra rushed over to Trunks' side, climbing up into the bed with him and hugging him around his neck as tightly as she dared. Trunks sighed in relief, putting a hand on her back.

"The bad people got you, didn't they?" Bra whispered. "They said they would."

Trunks pulled back enough to look at his little sister in confusion. "Wait, what?"

Bra nodded grimly, her blue eyes briefly skirting over to the side. She abruptly hugged her brother again, and he put one arm around her in comfort, thinking she was frightened. Truth was, Vegeta hadn't taught her enough about telepathy for her to communicate secretly with her brother. But Vegeta _had _taught both of his children the basics of his true native language, and she used that now.

"_Yazen samil," _she whispered into her brother's ear.

A mixture of anger and hatred rushed over Trunks, but he kept the emotion off his face and kept his ki steady. Even though Bra couldn't communicate with him telepathically, the reverse was not true.

_They're here? _Trunks translated, wanting to make sure he didn't misunderstand. Bra nodded against him. _Can you see them? _Bra nodded again, her grip on him tightening. Trunks glanced around his dark bedroom, seeing no one else aside from his best friend and his sister. The short hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end though. It suddenly felt hot and stuffy in his room. Trunks looked over at his best friend, quickly relaying to him what was going on. Goten stiffened, clenching his fists tightly.

_Show me where, _Trunks ordered.

Bra hesitated, before slowly loosening her grip on her brother. She then looked over her shoulder, and pointed at the shadows lining the wall.

As soon as she did, all of the flashlights inside Capsule Corp ruptured, and the entire compound was blanketed in darkness. Goku and Gohan were just down the hall, not even ten feet away, discussing feverishly what to do about the Dragon Balls when the flashlight in Gohan's hand practically exploded. Neither had time to react before lightning flashed outside and the door to Trunks' bedroom suddenly slammed shut, trapping two teenagers and one little girl inside.

And then all three of them started screaming.

* * *

"Your time is up!" Vegeta screamed. He swiped at his face with his forearm to clear up his vision while he squinted inside the dark, open doorway of the Xhao home. "Bulma! Where are you? What's going on?" he yelled. When the prince got no answer, he growled and pulled one hand back. Bright blue light suddenly fired up in the palm of his hand, practically lighting up the entire street. "BULMA!" he shouted again, desperately straining his senses to feel any sign of his wife.

In doing so, however, Vegeta's attention was suddenly diverted back towards Capsule Corp. He had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. He hesitated, resisting the urge to go find out. He couldn't leave Bulma there. No, he had to get his wife and then get back home to check on his kids. Frantic now, the prince spun back around to face the doorway, and raised his power while he drew both hands back now. Sparks of electricity shot up around him as he ascended to Super Saiyan 2 and beyond.

"Vegeta!" The prince hesitated a second, his power tapering off when he heard her. "Vegeta!" This time Bulma sounded closer, but she didn't sound like she was inside the house. Vegeta cocked his head to one side, trying to sense her.

"Woman! Where are you?" he loudly demanded.

"I'm right here!"

Vegeta looked over just in time to see Bulma running around the side of the house. He instantly dropped his power as she ran up on the patio, relinquishing his ki as she ran up to him. The prince didn't resist as she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Vegeta returned her embrace, bringing his face down against her shoulder in relief. He only held the position for a couple seconds before pulling her off him.

"Are you injured?" he demanded, sweeping his gaze over her body.

"I'm alright, but what about you? Are you okay?" Bulma asked him, putting her hands on his shoulders while she looked him over too.

"I'm fine, but I think we should get going soon," Vegeta urgently said, glancing away in direction of the compound. "Did you find out anything useful while you-"

He choked on his words when Bulma suddenly turned his face back towards her and kissed him. Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise; it was extremely rare that Bulma showed him this kind of affection outside of their home, and this hardly seemed like a good time or place. In fact, the way she was kissing him didn't feel right at all, and he didn't know why. Finally, he figured maybe she just needed comfort from him right now, and he could oblige her for a few seconds. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth to deepen their kiss, instinctively pulling her closer against him.

A few seconds later, Bulma breathlessly pulled back from him. Vegeta was staring at her in confusion as she cradled his face in her hands.

"I love you, and I need you to trust me, okay?"

His stomach tied up in knots. Something about the way she said that was completely wrong. He opened his mouth to respond, when a wave of dizziness suddenly overcame him. Vegeta shook his head rapidly, taking a step back from his wife. Slowly, his golden hair faded back to black against his will as his strength began to vanish.

"What the hell?" he growled, shaking his head again in confusion. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to keep it together, but he was getting dizzier by the second. The prince swayed a little on his feet, prompting Bulma to grab onto his armor to steady him. But as soon as she touched him, Vegeta's legs gave out and he fell to his knees with only his wife keeping him from collapsing altogether.

"I'm so sorry," he heard her saying. Vegeta forced his eyes open to find his wife on her knees with him. When he saw the guilt on Bulma's face, he knew.

"You…you did this to me?" Vegeta ground out through his teeth in a mixture of disbelief, hurt, and betrayal. Bulma was whispering in his ear for him to trust her, but he couldn't make out the words anymore. He didn't want to make out the words. With all of his remaining strength, Vegeta roughly shoved her back away from him.

"Touch me again and I'll fucking kill you, traitorous bitch," he seethed with a venom he hadn't used in decades, his dark eyes burning with pure hatred. He had been poisoned a few times while working for Frieza, and he immediately recognized the sensation. He was on his hands and knees now, struggling just to breathe. Despite his warning, he felt Bulma's hands on his back. He had no more strength to push her away as he finally collapsed and fell into darkness.

* * *

"What the hell did you do to him?" Bulma angrily demanded. With Mia's help, they had both managed to carefully bring the unconscious Saiyan inside the house and take him downstairs. They had laid him down on the ground, and Bulma was kneeling next to him while she glared at the older woman. "You said that spell would just weaken him physically, not knock him out!"

"It shouldn't have been powerful enough to knock out a human, much less a Saiyan," Mia snapped, coming around on the other side of the prince. She held out one hand in front of Vegeta's face for a few seconds. "Ah, there's the reason. The boy is weak and sick."

"Sick, sick how?" Bulma worriedly asked, holding one of her husband's hands. "He has that virus?"

"No he doesn't, but his system doesn't feel good. Small wonder this spell brought him down. If I'd known, I would've given you a much weaker spell."

The wind suddenly howled outside, loud and furious enough for them to hear it even from where they were. The fire from the candles lighting the room all flared up, and Vegeta unconsciously twitched, his brow furrowing. Mia and Bulma both looked up towards the ceiling as they listened to the raging gusts above ground.

"The dead bastards are pissed that you're both in here with me now, and they can't hear what we're talking about," Mia knowingly said. "We don't have much time." She looked back down at the man sprawled out between her and Bulma, and massaged Vegeta's temple. The prince stirred a little. "Rise and shine, darling."

Bulma gently rubbed the side of Vegeta's jaw while he came around. His body wanted nothing more than to rest. He couldn't recall a time when he'd ever been more exhausted. With considerable effort, he squinted his eyes open and settled his gaze on Bulma.

"Hey," she greeted him, offering him a strained smile. Vegeta blinked once, and then his eyes focused with an intense rage that was frightening. Bulma saw it and put her hands on his shoulders to keep him down before he could regain his strength. "Listen to me, Vegeta. I did NOT betray you, so get that thought out of your head right now," she firmly told him.

Vegeta exhaled furiously through his nose, before roughly batting her hands away. "You fucking poisoned me!" he hissed.

"I didn't poison you!" Bulma shot back. "Mia can't take down the shield around this house to let you in, without letting the ghosts in too! The only way you could come inside was if you were weakened. I'm sorry I had to do it that way, but you would've never let me do it if you knew."

"The other alternative I gave Bulma was to simply kill you outright," Mia chimed in. She was standing back at her table now, one hand firmly on her crystal ball. "She refused to do it. You ought to thank her."

"Yes, my wife is just _so_ damn considerate," Vegeta snidely remarked as he pulled himself up so he was sitting. His movement was sluggish at best. Bulma instinctively tried to help him, but he growled in warning, giving her a look that could have killed.

"We have bigger things to focus on, lovebirds. Can you stand, Saiyan?"

Vegeta scoffed in disdain. "Of course I can! Miserable old wench," he sneered as he pulled himself back up to his feet by sheer strength of will. His legs still felt shaky, and he had to keep one hand firmly on the stone wall right next to the steps, but he was standing.

"Watch how you talk to me," Mia warned, fixing Vegeta with a cold look. "As far as I'm concerned, _you're_ the reason for all of this. Bulma might not be willing to see you die, but I don't mind putting the option back on the table."

Vegeta's jaw started twitching in rising rage over the threat, but he forced himself not to slaughter the female in front of him. She still was helpful to him, and he didn't know the full extent of her powers. "Fine. But if you threaten me again, I'll rip your heart out and have it for dinner," he swore, making sure she knew that he was capable and willing of following through.

"Duly noted," Mia deadpanned, turning her attention back to her crystal ball, frowning in thought.

She didn't trust the Saiyan one bit, and in fact hated him for the hell that had descended on her own family. But when Bulma made one final heartwrenching plea to exhaust every possible option that would keep her family alive and intact, Mia found herself unable to shoot the younger woman down. Though her marriage with Tyler had never recovered after Kegan's death, she remembered how good things had been back then. Her family life with her practitioner husband who was also a brilliant scientist, and their equally brilliant teenage daughter, had been very much like Bulma's life now with her alien prince husband and their hybrid kids. Unconventional, very different, but still perfect in its own way. Even though her head still said that the solution was still Vegeta's death, her heart couldn't deny Bulma's request.

It was a huge risk she hoped didn't blow up in their faces.

"Alright. Bulma says that there is a legend from another planet that might explain this further. Something about a mineral that opened a gateway to our realm. Since Bulma's gotten a watered down version, I want _your _version, boy. So come here and put your hand on the crystal ball, so I can see exactly what you know."

For a few seconds, Vegeta didn't move from his spot at the wall. At first, Bulma thought he was just being stubborn. But then she realized that he was trying to gather up strength for the short walk. She took a step towards her husband to help him, but Vegeta was still pissed off at her and he cast her a dark glare. Bulma rolled her eyes in exasperation, shaking her head. She did nothing but watch as Vegeta finally shuffled over to the table. When he got there, he used one hand to lean his weight against it, and put his other hand on top of the crystal ball.

As soon as he did, Mia's head snapped up in surprise. "You're a practitioner?"

Vegeta scowled. "I'm a what?"

"A practitioner. You have it in your blood. I can sense it. Have you ever been able to sense or hear the dead?"

The prince shook his head, knowing that he would've gone insane working for Frieza with that kind of ability. Bulma's eyes widened in realization though. "Our daughter Bra, she's said a few times that she can hear the ghosts," she said, briefly making eye contact with her husband.

"Hmm, yes. It feels dormant in Vegeta's blood, but it's there. Very possible it was passed to the little girl and she has naturally tapped into the ability, even if you yourself never did. Children in general are always more receptive to the dead, but a child practitioner can make direct contact without even trying."

Neither Bulma nor Vegeta said anything to that. They were both disturbed and uncomfortable with that kind of burden on their young daughter's shoulders. Seeing that, Mia put her hand over Vegeta's on the crystal ball and closed her eyes in concentration.

"Yes, I see," she finally murmured in concentration. "And you located the mineral while working for the alien named Frieza. Yes, I remember sensing this alien once on Earth."

"Yes. He was the one I gave the mineral to."

"What happened to it after that?"

"I don't remember."

Mia frowned and opened her eyes, making direct eye contact with Vegeta for a few seconds. "Yes, you do. You know the truth. Tell me, because we don't have much time left."

"What the hell are you talking about?" the prince peevishly demanded. "This happened decades ago. I fulfilled my assignment and then-"

"And then what?"

"I moved on to the next damn assignment."

"Which was?"

Vegeta opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He blinked a few times, trying to bring up the memory of that time as both women stared at him expectantly. He was eighteen at the time. That was true. He had done his assignment, reported back to Frieza, handed the mineral over. And then…the prince shook his head. The next assignment he could remember with clarity was when he was nineteen.

"Nothing noteworthy it seems," he grumbled. "I can't remember what happened after that."

"You _do_ remember. The memory is there and it contains the truth. But for some reason you're repressing it."

"I'm not repressing a goddamned thing," Vegeta seethed, offended by the suggestion as he yanked his hand off the crystal ball. His voice started escalating as he yelled, "If I'm telling you I don't remember, then I don't fucking remember!"

"Vegeta," Bulma started, reaching out and touching his arm. "Calm down-"

"_Don't tell me to calm down!"_ Vegeta screamed at her, pulling free of her grasp as he turned on her with growing rage. "Stupid female, this is all your fault! You should've just done what she wanted and killed me, ending this once and for all!"

"Don't say that! You think I could live with myself knowing that I let these damn things win, that I handed you over to them so they could torture you in the afterlife? You think I can go through losing you again, Vegeta?" Bulma shouted back at him. Vegeta angrily looked away from her, but Bulma was having none of it as she grabbed him by the jaw and turned his head back, forcing him to make eye contact with her. "Well I can't and I won't! My kids will have their father and I will have my husband, and I won't hear a word that says otherwise, you hear me?"

Vegeta reached up and grabbed her wrist. His grip was tight for a few seconds while he stared at her, but then it gradually relaxed. He pulled her hand off his face, maintaining his hold as he lowered their hands. Bulma sighed in relief when Vegeta released her wrist to properly take her hand into his in a sign that was forgiveness, apology, and acceptance all at the same time.

"Alright," the prince relented, turning back to the other woman in the room with them. But Mia didn't seem to be paying attention to him or his wife. "What can we do about these mem-?"

"Quiet, both of you," Mia interrupted. Her hands moved over her crystal ball, and she couldn't keep the concern off her face as she stared down at it. "Something ain't right here."

"What?" Bulma asked, not liking the look in the other woman's eyes. She came up next to Vegeta, gripping his hand tightly while she looked down at the crystal ball. It was currently showing black swirls, like trapped smoke. "What is it?"

"Their anger is rising the longer you're both down here…"

"What are they doing?" Vegeta demanded. "Tell us, now!"

Instead of telling them, Mia moved her hand to either side of the crystal ball and showed them what had transpired just a short time ago.

Goku and Gohan immediately raced down the hallway back to Trunks' room, with Gohan reaching the door first. He immediately delivered a kick hard enough to decimate the entire compound, but the door had no give and he promptly collapsed as a result. Goku wasted no time and slammed his fist against the wooden door, but when the wooden door didn't budge, he resorted to instant transmission – only to find that he couldn't get inside the room. All the while, he heard Bra, Trunks, and Goten screaming for bloody murder on the other side as all three of their ki signatures dropped. There was the sound of glass breaking, and an animalistic, inhuman howl filled with rage.

"LET THEM GO!" Goku screamed, slamming his fists into the door with powerful blows, to no avail. Meanwhile, Gohan shot back up on his feet and tore into a spare bedroom, bursting through the glass window and instantly appearing outside of the window to Trunks' room. He tried with all his might to break in, but the glass had no give. However, he could still see inside as lightning flashed behind him. What he saw made his blood go cold.

Goten was suspended in midair in the middle of the room, his legs thrashing desperately as he clawed at something that was wrapped tightly around his throat and strangling the life out of him. Gohan couldn't see what it was, but he could see how tight the grip was on his brother's throat. Goten's shirt was violently ripped open from behind as deep burns started appearing on his back. He tried to scream out in agony, but that only made his asphyxiation worse.

Trunks and Bra were on the floor, with Trunks protectively covering his little sister. He tried a few times to get up to help, but he was still weakened and was easily overwhelmed by a powerful, invisible force that kept him in place, helpless to do anything but watch his best friend be tortured right in front of him. A shadow flashed over the window and then Gohan couldn't see anything else. He powered up and frantically started trying to tear his way inside to save his brother, ripping his knuckles open again and again.

The entire compound was rocking from the presence of the spirits in Trunks' room and from Goku powering up right outside of that room. The Saiyan was down on one knee, powered up just a notch under Super Saiyan 3 while he pulled both of his hands back. Gohan sensed it, and in alarm, tapped into his telepathy with his father.

_Dad, you can't, you'll kill all three of them!_

The thought had barely flashed across Goku's mind when there was a thud in Trunks' room, and then everything inside was silent. Gohan instantly burst in through the window while his father simultaneously knocked the door to Trunks' room right off its hinges. Bra was bawling, clinging to her brother while Trunks stared at his best friend in blank horror. Goten was sprawled out on his back, unmoving as Gohan and Goku both rushed to either side of him.

"Is he alive?" Trunks weakly asked, unable to sense any ki from his friend. Goku and Gohan didn't immediately answer, which made Trunks snarl furiously, "Answer me now, goddamnit! Is he alive?"

"Yeah," Gohan responded, his face and voice grim as he and Goku both checked his little brother. Goten was only taking in short and shallow breaths, and his pulse was weak. But he was alive.

"There's blood," Goku commented, trying his best to stay level-headed. Inside though, he was fuming. "I can smell it."

"It's his back. Let's turn him over," Gohan said.

Between him and his father, they both gently rolled the teenager over so that he was on his stomach. Goku and Gohan felt chills crawl up their spines at what they saw. At the Xhao residence, a horrified Bulma grabbed onto Vegeta, unable to handle the sight more than a few seconds. Vegeta unconsciously pulled her close against him, but he couldn't look away. There on the crystal ball, burned raw into the flesh on Goten's back, was a simple, cryptic message:

_STAY OUT OF THIS – FINAL WARNING_


	15. Finding a way

**A/N:** Welp, no excuse to give really for how long it's taken me to update this. I think I just kinda overthought myself into a huge black hole of writer's block with this fic, and the harder I tried to get out of it, the worse it became. But it's Halloween week so I thought if ever there was a good time for an update, it was this week. I'm so sorry for the rust and the massive delay. Thank you all so much for the support through it all, it means the world. I hope you guys like!

* * *

_This could have been home._

It wasn't, of course. His planet was galaxies away, a small blue planet that he had vowed to protect. That vow was the reason he was even there in the first place. Still, Dende was struck by an unexpected sense of longing as he felt a warm gust of wind rustle his cloak. The land was a barren expanse of blue grass and black sand, the sky a deep purple. The dry heat was strong and familiar, bringing him back to his childhood. He took a deep breath, reminding himself to focus on the task at hand.

Piccolo came up behind him, grateful for the opportunity for fresh air. The space ship Bulma's father had lent them was the fastest one he had, and it had done the job well, but he had started growing impatient towards the end. Time was of the essence if they were to help their friends, and his telepathy wasn't strong enough to reach Gohan from this far away. The sooner they could complete their mission, the sooner the nightmare could be put to rest. The Namekian scowled and observed the surroundings on New Namek; it had been a long time since he had stepped foot somewhere besides Earth.

He hoped this was the last time he'd ever need to.

"There," Dende announced, squinting as a gust of black sand rose up with the wind. He pointed with his staff, guarding his eyes with his free hand. Piccolo looked and grunted in agreement.

"Seems they were expecting us," he muttered, already levitating.

"You think they already know?" Dende asked in surprise.

"Only one way to find out," Piccolo gruffly responded. Without waiting for an answer, he immediately powered up, making an enormous rush of sand swirl up around them both. Dende barely flinched, before Piccolo was gone.

He was out of practice when it came to flying, but he made good time nonetheless. A short fifteen seconds later and the two were descending back down to the dirt ground in front of five other Namekians. Behind them was a modest village, with small domed huts built out of smooth stone. Further beyond into the night, there was an endless sea of mountains, and somewhere in the night a beast howled a welcome of its own.

"Dende. Piccolo," an elder greeted with a small bow of his green head. He was small, almost the height of a child, but his face was marked with lines of decades passed. By appearance alone, he must have been the oldest one there. Dende tried to place him but found he didn't recognize anyone standing before him. "Welcome. We didn't know when, but we knew you would come."

"Then you know what is happening on Earth," Piccolo growled. "Do you know how to fix it?"

"Piccolo," Dende cautioned. Piccolo gave him a searing look that rivaled Vegeta on his best day, but he remained silent as Dende stepped forward. "My brethren, I have tried to help my planet as best as I can, but we need help to stop what's happening. We have traveled a long way to ask for your help."

"Indeed," the elder who greeted them said. "The gates to the realms have been opened. I could sense it from here."

"How is that possible?" Piccolo demanded.

"Because, child. I am a descendent of Yona, the Namekian who created the magic for the dark avengers to cross into the physical realm long ago." Dende and Piccolo exchanged a look of unease as the elder added, "My name is Mirken, and I will tell you all. Come."

An antenna twitched on Piccolo's head in irritation – people on Earth were dying with every breath they wasted here. But he held his tongue and followed everyone, walking directly behind Dende as he brought up the rear. They all walked single-file into a small domed hut, where it was blessedly cool inside.

"Do you know the magic, Mirken?" Dende asked, his voice hopeful as he lowered himself and took a seat on the floor with the rest of the Namekians. Only Piccolo remained standing close to Dende, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he glared down at all of them. "Do you know how to stop this?"

The eldest named Mirken gingerly sat down, across from Dende, the others surrounding them. There was nothing in this hut except stone: stone walls, stone floor, and stony facial expressions to boot. Mirken reached up with one hand, and a small blue flame came up between him and Dende.

"I do know the magic," Mirken said, staring at the flame. "But you must understand." He moved his hand, and the flame changed to orange. Piccolo's scowl deepened as he saw Earth in the flame. "Yona created the magic that granted access to our physical plane, generations ago. You've heard the legend?"

"I've heard the legend," Dende quietly said. "Please, tell us what more you know."

For several long moments, Mirken stayed quiet. He looked every bit his age, the light of the flame reflecting in his eyes. Piccolo's patience was wearing thin, but Dende was steady and calm as the old Namekian gathered his thoughts. Finally, with a deep sigh and a look of sadness that could only come with great loss, Mirken began to speak.

"Yona had many friends who were also skilled as he was, friends he trusted. After he discovered how powerful the magic he created was, he was able to create the physical energy harvesting that magic and place it in the xiijen mineral. The mineral was given to one friend for protection, and her lineage was always responsible for protecting it against all enemies. They guarded it with their lives, in time coming to regard the xiijen mineral as holy because of its magic. In the wrong hands, the mineral could be a destructive force. The magic itself, however, Yona taught to his son, and it's been passed down his lineage since…down to me. I am the last to understand Yona's power and replicate his magic, though I admit I lack the skill of my ancestor.

"Years ago, before either of you were hatched, the protection line died at the hands of Vegeta. The protectors always swore an oath of secrecy, but somehow, Frieza learned the truth about where they were hiding it. At the time, he had spies all across the galaxies, and he found where it was hidden even as we tried to keep it from him. It was prudent that Frieza never find it…but he did with Vegeta. Someone must have betrayed their oath and turned on us. There is no other explanation. But I was already old when I received the news of the massacre. There was nothing I could do at that point, except wait.

So I did. I waited and prepared, but nothing ever happened. Years passed, and there was no sign of the spirits crossing into our realm. I finally assumed they didn't know enough to unleash the mineral's magic and open the gates to the realm of the spirit realm."

"How do you do that?" Dende patiently asked. "Open the gates?"

"You need three things. First, you need the mineral itself, which Frieza already had. Second, you need an ancient chant, Yona's chant that binds the magic to the mineral. The chant is what unleashes the magic and opens the gate to the spirit realm; it's what allows the dark avengers to cross over and pursue their vengeance. Finally, you need the blood of the person who the spirits will target, coated in the mineral while you say the chant. Then and only then will the gates open.

I never sensed the gate open, but I did sense when the first spirit crossed over. The sky is usually bright here, but you saw for yourselves how dark it is now. Distance across galaxies doesn't matter. The physical plane is still the physical plane with living beings, and the longer the dead are here, the more chaos is created with nature."

"Earth is plagued right now with the most extreme weather I've seen since I have lived on the planet," Dende relented.

"People are dying," Piccolo added, impatience creeping into his voice. "There is a lethal virus crippling the human population on Earth. It's not sustainable, the population won't survive it."

"Yes, inflicted disease is one of their methods. The sickness is draining the humans of their energy and feeding it right to the dark avengers. It's where the spirits are deriving their strength. They'll kill as many as it takes until they've had the vengeance they deserve." Mirken paused, and then looked up at Dende. "The target is Vegeta, isn't it?"

"You knew?" Dende asked, hardly surprised.

"Few others could inspire such a strong and desperate need for vengeance, and few others are powerful enough to necessitate so much death for that vengeance to be completed," Mirken admitted, frowning. "I heard the legends about the boy when he was growing into a man. If half of the legends are true, then he deserves his fate after his death."

"What happens to Vegeta when he dies is something he and he alone should deal with," Piccolo growled. "Everyone else on Earth does not deserve to pay for what Vegeta's done. Neither does Vegeta's family."

"Vegeta, Frieza's premiere soldier, one of the most feared men in the entire universe has a family now?" Mirken almost smiled. "Life is curious indeed."

"If we find the mineral, can you close the gate?"

Whatever hints of a smile Mirken held disappeared at Piccolo's question. He grew grim and suddenly looked tired. "No," he admitted. "When one gate is opened, only the person who did the chant and released the magic can close it again. Imagine that the realm is separated from our living, physical plane, by a barrier long and wide. I can create an opening of my own, but I cannot close the one opened by another. If it was opened by Frieza as I suspect, then likely the person he used to say the words and release the magic is long dead anyway. In any case, there is no time to hunt for a person we do not know, and for a mineral that could be anywhere in the universe."

"Then we came all this way for nothing," Piccolo snapped, spinning on his heel to leave, his cape whirling up behind him. "Dende, let's go. We must return back to Earth as soon as-"

"Child, wait," Merkin commanded with an authority in his voice that made Piccolo pause and look over his shoulder, grinding his teeth as he did. They made eye contact, and for a moment, Piccolo was reminded of Kami. "It's true, I know and understand the magic, but I cannot help close this bleeding wound. I cannot stop this madness on your planet. But I can take you to someone who can."

* * *

_We need to do something_, Gohan sent to his father telepathically. Even though he was standing calmly with his arms crossed over his chest, his mental voice was furious. _Goten almost got-_

_I know_, Goku sent back, his tone clipped. His fists were clenched tight.

The two were standing together against the wall in Trunks' room, carefully watching over the three young hybrid Saiyans who had just been attacked by a force they couldn't see. Goten was lying in Trunks' bed, facedown and still out cold, the burned skin on his back coated with a mixture of ointment and gauze. Trunks was dutifully sitting next to him in a chair, his forearms crossed on the edge of the bed and his face buried in them. Bra was away from both of them, standing at the window and watching the lightning flash while she clutched her stuffed bear against her chest. Her face was still red from her crying, even though her tears had long since dried. There was a blank, almost stoic look on her face; for a moment, Goku envisioned a five-year-old prince decades ago wearing the same expression.

_We can't just sit around here and let this happen, Dad! _

_I know, Gohan. I know. But if anyone is going to get answers, it'll be Dende and Piccolo, or Bulma and Vegeta. Plus, we promised Vegeta we'd stay here with the kids._

_This isn't about Vegeta and his family anymore, _Gohan snapped, making Goku finally turn to look at him directly. Father and son made eye contact, each seeing their own seething anger mirrored in the other's eyes.

_You think I don't know that? _Goku demanded in a tone Gohan hadn't heard from him in years. _Whatever these things are, they did this to my son to prove a point. If there was an enemy to physically fight, this would be over already. But there isn't, so we have to wait, Gohan. I don't like it any more than you do but that's what we have to do._

Gohan broke their eye contact, pushing off against the wall. He paced for a bit, as though gathering up the whirlwind of his thoughts, before he faced his father again.

_Fine. But if we're staying here, then all of us need to be here. Videl and Pan, Mom, Krillin, 18, Marron, Yamcha, everyone, EVERYONE needs to be here right now. Because if they could do this to my brother, then there is no telling what else they can do._

Goku stared at him for a few seconds, contemplating. He frowned. _Normally I'd say yes. But I'm not sure about all of us being in one place right now. _

_They can't take all of us out at once. No way. _When Gohan saw Goku hesitate, his patience snapped. _You know what? You can do whatever the hell you want, Dad. But I need Videl and Pan _here. _So either I bring them here, or I go home and stay home, but I'm not leaving them alone anymore!_

Goku broke their eye contact, redirecting his gaze towards Goten. It was taking all of his discipline to remain calm in the face of such a blatant attack on his youngest son, especially since it seemed the entire purpose was just to send a warning. But he could practically feel the angry energy brewing inside of Gohan, and the last thing he needed was to deal with his oldest son's explosive temper getting the better of him. Exhaling slowly, Goku forced back his own paternal rage in favor of clarity.

_Alright, _he conceded. _I'll get everyone with instant transmission. It'll be faster that way. We'll go to the lookout. It's open there. Watch the kids here._

_I will, _Gohan swore, his gaze going back to his little brother and his injuries. _Can you also see if Korin-_

_I will._

Just like that, Goku was gone. Gohan exhaled slowly, looking over the two teenage boys, and then the little girl still at the window. If any of them noticed Goku disappearing, they gave no sign of it. Gohan sighed, looking back at his brother briefly before making his way to Bra. He put a hand on her shoulder from behind, giving a gentle squeeze.

"You okay, Bra?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern. She was only a year younger than his own daughter, and practically family to him. The little girl just nodded, squeezing her bear. "Are you hungry? Do you want to get something to eat?"

She shook her head.

"You want to lie down for a little bit?"

She shook her head again.

"Do you want to draw? I know you like drawing."

Bra stood still. Gohan was going to ask something else when she finally whispered, "When's Mommy coming back?"

Gohan opened his mouth to respond, when he suddenly realized that he couldn't pick up Vegeta's ki signature. With everything that had just transpired with the kids, he hadn't even thought to mentally seek out the prince.

"Ah, soon," he forced himself to say, moving his hand to the top of her head even as he extended his senses for the Saiyan prince. "Your mom and dad will both be back soon, you'll see," he added absently, trying to keep the rising concern out of his voice.

_You don't need to lie to her, _Trunks' tired voice suddenly cut into his thoughts. Gohan turned back towards the boys, but Trunks still had his head down in his arms on the edge of the bed. _I can't sense my dad either._

_He's fine, _Gohan assured him. _Vegeta is fine, trust me. _

_You don't know that._

_I know your dad very well, Trunks, and he's the toughest guy I know. Don't worry, we'll help-_

_Like you helped Goten?_

Gohan closed his eyes and sighed. He thought about reaching back out to Goku, but he knew that if anyone had picked up on Vegeta's ki signature dropping, it was his dad. No one was more in tune mentally with Vegeta than Goku was, besides perhaps Bulma. For now, he had to put his trust into his dad. His current responsibility consisted of the two teenagers and the little girl in the room with him.

Gohan walked over closer to Trunks, and it was only then that he noticed the boy was shaking. His face was buried in his arms and hidden from sight, his lavender bangs dark with sweat shielding him further. Gohan squatted down next to him, and a moment later, caught the scent of tears. He reached out, putting his hand on the back of Trunks' neck.

_I'm sorry, Trunks, _he gently sent as the teenager silently sobbed. _I didn't help you when you were sick, and possessed or not, I didn't get there in time to stop your dad from hurting you. Your dad asked me to keep an eye on you and your sister, and I couldn't help either of you or help Goten. But I promise, I promise we're going to help your mom and dad stop this._

Trunks didn't respond. After a while though, his shaking stopped. His ki signature leveled and Gohan knew he'd fallen asleep. Not that he could blame him, he knew Trunks was still physically recovering and needed to rest if he was going to heal. Gohan stood up, shifting his gaze from Trunks to Goten. His brother was still down for the count, the wounds on his back red and angry. Gohan stared at those injuries for a long time.

He didn't know how, but he was going to make damn sure he kept his promise to Trunks.

* * *

For all of the life and death situations he'd faced in his life, there were only a handful of times Vegeta completely lost all hope of survival. Yet the prince had never forgotten that feeling of cold dread crawling up his spine, or the impossibly heavy weight of failure in his chest when he believed he would never again see the light of a new day. He thought that intense hopelessness had died with him on Namek, lost in the shadow of the immense strength and power he had since attained, never to be felt again.

But he was wrong. As he looked at the crystal ball in front of him, staring blankly at the raw, seared flesh of Goten's back, Vegeta felt that old, familiar dread rising within him, seizing his throat as his mouth began to dry. He was vaguely aware that Bulma was still holding onto him, but he wasn't aware of much else; he was too busy trying to frantically think a way out of this mess without anyone he knew dying in the process. No matter what angle he took though, the same anguished question kept playing over and over again in his head, a question with no answer in sight-

_How could he possibly defeat an enemy he couldn't even lay a hand on? _

"I'm sorry you had to see all that," Mia finally muttered, withdrawing her hands from her crystal ball. The disturbing image of Goten's mutilated back vanished, replaced with a whirl of smoke that disappeared into nothingness, as though it had never happened at all.

"I have to go home." Bulma's voice was shaky as she loosened her grip on her husband, not noticing that the Saiyan was completely oblivious to her. "I need to check on the kids-"

"If you leave right now, you'll never make it home alive," Mia bluntly interrupted. Her eyes were hard as she made direct eye contact with Bulma. "Those things can't hear us down here, and they can't interfere down here either, though they sure as heck are tryin'. Our best bet is to try to figure this out here and now. You try and leave and they'll end you, girl."

"Yeah? Well let's see those bastards try!" Bulma angrily shot back, whirling around to head for the stairs. Her raised voice finally made Vegeta come out of his haze; the prince blinked a few times as though trying to wake from a nightmare. Unfortunately, the real nightmare still wasn't over. His eyes finally settled on Bulma as her voice escalated into a feverish pitch, "If you actually think that I'm just going to sit here in this rusted old basement while some vengeful psychopathic ghosts or whatever go after my kids-!"

Vegeta suddenly seized his wife by the arm before she could move completely out of his reach, startling Bulma and ending her rant on the spot. His grip was strong enough to force her to stop, though it was taking a large amount of precious energy to maintain it – energy he didn't have. The prince growled low in frustration, keeping his free hand firmly on the table with the crystal ball for support.

"Woman, the old hag is right. You cannot leave."

Bulma yanked her arm free, spinning around to face him. Vegeta didn't back down an inch, glaring at her as she got right in his face.

"Did we not see the same thing just now, Vegeta?" she yelled, pointing back at the crystal ball. Vegeta clenched his teeth, grinding them together. "Did you not see what happened to Goten! I need to be with the boys and Bra right now, they're my kids-"

"_They're my children too!"_

They both stared at each other in a mixture of anger and frustration in silence. After some time, the prince broke their eye contact first, his dark eyes going down to his hands as though expecting to see Trunks' blood staining them again.

"Don't mistake my decision for indifference, female," Vegeta added, his strong voice undermined by the way his shoulders slightly sagged as he settled his gaze on the crystal ball. "Those are my children too, but if they could do this to Goten, then there's no telling what they could do to you. You stay with me, and I am staying here with the old bat until I get answers on how to fix this, and that is _final_," he snarled, making eye contact with his wife again to make sure she understood.

Bulma pursed her lips stubbornly, weighing her husband's logic against her motherly instincts. After a few tense seconds, her logical mind won out over her heart and she reluctantly nodded.

"Alright," she breathed, gathering her wits before turning back to the other woman with them in the basement. "Well, what the hell can we do then? Standing around here sure isn't going to solve anything."

"Was just waiting on you two kids to finish," Mia drawled sarcastically, turning her back to them to go to the far wall. Vegeta and Bulma exchanged a wary look as the older woman wiped off a shelf filled with dust with one impatient sweep of her arm. One wrinkled finger touched on an old vial, and after a moment, she picked it up.

"Now I ain't no expert on this," she quietly said as she turned back to them. "But I reckon there are two courses of action that we can take. We either find out what the boy's memories are hiding, or we ask the dead for forgiveness."

"_Ask for forgiveness,_" Vegeta mockingly repeated, his tone acidic. "Fancy yourself a comedian, do you, wench?"

"No one's laughing, boy," Mia snapped. "We are dealing with powerful forces here. It would be a desperate move to be sure, but millions are dying as we speak. If all else goes to shit, it could be a last resort."

"So the first resort then is seeing what memories Vegeta's repressing," Bulma stated, exchanging a look with her husband.

"I'd take a gander and say that's our best option. It'll give us more information we can work with to end this thing."

"Isn't there anything else you can think of?" Vegeta demanded, his fingers unconsciously digging into the old wood of the table he was still leaning against. He had seen horrible things in his days, and the thought of facing something so traumatic that his mind had purposely shielded him from it made cold sweat break out over his skin. The prince impatiently snarled, his voice rising, "Can't you just close whatever opening there is that's letting the dead cross over, and end this whole damn thing?"

"It ain't that simple, boy," Mia grumbled. "Magic involving the dead is ancient and dark, and whoever the alien bastard was that's responsible for all this magic was strong, much stronger than me. I need to know more before I can do anything. Now I done told you what we need to do, so unless you want to make direct contact and ask for forgiveness, or you have a better idea altogether, then I suggest we get moving cause that virus ain't slowing down."

Vegeta grit his teeth so hard he could feel his jaw aching. "No," he finally said. "I don't trust whatever the hell you think you're gonna do to get those memories back."

"I done it before, boy. You ain't the first person to repress some trauma. You'll be the first to get this for free though, I'll tell you that."

"I don't care about the price, I'm not doing it," he snapped. He turned and locked eyes with his wife. "Don't you remember the last time you and I tried going back into my memories from the past to help Gohan years ago? It almost killed me."

_He's afraid, _Bulma realized. _But is he afraid that it will fail, or that it will work? _"Hon, it'll be fine. I'll be right here and I won't let anything bad happen, not this time."

"It's either that, or you can ask for forgiveness," Mia cut in.

Bulma gave her a skeptical look. "You think that would really work?"

Mia exhaled slowly, mulling the thought over. She frowned, her tone doubtful when she answered, "I don't think so, but I can't say for sure. I was just tossin' that out there. Guess it couldn't hurt though. They want their vengeance, but none of these spirits were evil when they were alive, from the thoughts I've gleaned. Might be the bastards aren't beyond reason. Maybe if the boy apologized for his evil sins and begged for forgiveness-"

"No," Vegeta bluntly cut in, his eyes hard. "I will not beg _anyone_ for forgiveness."

"Goddamnit, Vegeta!" Bulma shouted at him, her face reddening in mounting frustrating with her husband. "Now is not the time for your pride and ego! We have to try something!"

"Plead for forgiveness? Woman, have you lost your mind?" the prince yelled, waving his free hand back in frustration. "Don't you see everything THEY'VE done? I am not the only one here with blood on my hands! Millions of people on YOUR planet have already died because of them!"

"It's still not as many as you've killed!" she snapped.

Vegeta visibly tensed, his jaw setting painfully as his teeth grinded together. Bulma's eyes softened, but he looked away as she stepped up closer to him. Mia watched the couple carefully as Bulma put one hand gently on the side of her husband's neck. She frowned in concern when she felt how cold and clammy his skin was.

"Look. I'm not blaming you for this, Vegeta, you know that," she whispered to him so only he could hear. Vegeta kept his gaze away as she ran her hand up to his face, and then up briefly into his hair. "But this has gotten way out of control. If you come at them rationally, apologize, and back down, maybe they will too. If not, we can try to see exactly what memories you're repressing, see if we can get some new information that way. But sweetheart, you need to decide and you need to decide right now. Unless you've got a better idea, this is all we've got."

Vegeta was silent for a moment, wrestling with his pride and the rage he felt burning deep in his chest. The number of times he had apologized in his life were far and few between; to be forced to apologize to the beings responsible for causing his family so much pain…he couldn't do it. His whole life he'd been taught to strike back, not to back down, and he was sure as hell not about to start now.

He turned to Mia, one of his eyes twitching.

"Fine," the prince relented with a nod. "Let's try to get the memories back."

"A wise decision," Mia stated. "It's been a few years since I've done this, so bear with me while I get set up."

Vegeta watched in silence as the woman moved about, lighting candles and putting them strategically on the ground. He was so tense that he barely noticed Bulma close to him until her fingers brushed against his. Without hesitation, he took her hand in his and squeezed. Bulma leaned in against him, and he sighed as he turned his head towards her. She squeezed his hand back, kissing him by his ear.

"I'll be here the whole time," she whispered to him. He nodded.

"Alright, boy," Mia finally said, making them both look over. "Come here and lie down, between these candles here on the floor."

Vegeta let go of his wife and went over, frowning as he saw the candles burning on the floor. Sure enough, there was room for him to lie down in the center of the candles. Gingerly, he eased himself down. Once on his back on the stone floor, Vegeta glared up at the ceiling, his jaw so tight he was sure one of his teeth would crack soon. The candles made his perspiring worse.

"Relax," Mia coaxed him, putting her index and middle fingers together on both sides of Vegeta's head, right on his temples. The prince unconsciously swallowed when he felt the woman's cold touch, but he forced himself not to move. "Close your eyes," she instructed, and he did. "Good. Now relax. Breathe and relax."

He did. Slowly but surely, with his eyes closed, he could feel his exhaustion creeping up through his body and overriding his doubts, fears, and tensions. He forced himself to stay alert and on guard, but he was so tired… he thought he heard Bulma's voice, but he was suddenly so very tired…

_Trunks was a toddler, and they were tossing a ki ball back and forth in the grass - it was summertime and the weather was nice, and Bulma's mother was cooking…_

_He was on Namek, staring up at blurry green skies as he desperately tried to give his dying words to the only full-blooded Saiyan left before it was too late…_

_He was on a distant planet with Raditz and Nappa flanking him, watching with indifference as a group of children played close to them, before lowering his hand - blue light started spreading between his fingers… _

_He was young, a brazen teenager, but he had had a plan…it had failed though, and now Frieza knew and he was afraid for his life…_

Vegeta flinched, and grit his teeth as Mia increased the pressure on his temples. One of the women spoke, but the words melted into Frieza's.

"_You betrayed me, and not for the first time, Vegeta. Only this time, you tried to sell the xiijen mineral to one of my enemies to use against me? I am extremely disappointed in you right now. That was a very, _very_ unwise decision, monkey prince…"_

_Vegeta whimpered, unable to speak. The teenager's mouth was gagged, his limbs tied down to a metallic table. There were medical experts surrounding him completely, which made the fur on his tail stand on end. He'd been prepared for the beating of his life, but he knew where he was, and he knew that his fate was going to be far worse._

"_Do you even know the legends surrounding the mineral? Why, they say you can raise the dead to come back and get vengeance against whoever caused their death. Some say you can raise entire armies to fight for their vengeance." Vegeta's eyes widened when he saw one medical technician raise a large needle over his right eye as Frieza continued casually strolling around them. "My family doesn't believe in legends, but I have always thought it more prudent to be safe than sorry…"_

The fire from the candles suddenly rose up around him, and Vegeta screamed.

_Pain, pain, immense pain, unbearable pain. It was torture the likes of which he'd never felt before. He was screaming for it to stop before it killed him, but he was choking on the gag in his mouth. His body was on fire, was he being burned alive? The restraints kept him in place, and he felt tears stinging his eyes. Through blurred vision, he could barely make out a green alien standing over him with two short antennas on his head, looking down at him in a mix of shame and pity._

_Close behind, out of sight, Frieza stood, his voice clear. "The boy betrayed me, after everything I've done for him. Make sure these so-called avenger spirits are directed towards him, so that he might pay for what he tried to do to me…"_

_He must have blacked out for a few seconds. "…need his blood," he finally heard a gruff voice saying._

"_That's where my wonderful staff has come into play," Frieza laughed. "I have the finest medical and science team in the universe. You will have his blood, bones, marrow, organs, whatever else you need. You'll just need to say the words, correct?"_

"_Yes, that should do it according to the legends, but this procedure is unnecessary."_

"_Oh come now, we are just having some discipline. The boy needs to learn that actions have consequences. And if he dies, so be it. But I do hope he survives. I'd love to see these spirits in action. It sounds delightful…"_

_There were needles poking his arms, torso, and his legs, spreading liquid fire all through his body, making him spasm and his vision change as he tasted blood. He couldn't help but whimper again. Dear gods, it was sheer agony. _

"_Do tell me, would a liquefied version of the mineral work just as well?" Frieza asked while laughing, just before Vegeta passed out._

"My god," Mia whispered a minute later, removing her hands from Vegeta.

The prince was breathing heavily, his face almost ghost white and covered in sweat. Bulma hadn't touched him while Mia pulled up deep rooted memories, long buried and long forgotten. But she had seen. Oh gods be good, she had seen it all on the crystal ball still on the table. The torture and experimentation Frieza had subjected her husband to when he was Trunks' age had her fighting tears. Now that Mia pulled away though, she knelt next to her husband, concerned as she examined how pale he was.

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"I ain't worried about the boy," Mia scoffed, getting back up to her feet. "Fact is, the Frieza bastard killed the green alien after the green one done confirmed that he was the only one who could reverse this and close the gates. The gates have been open since your husband was a boy, though the spirits waited to cross over until just recently, and there ain't no one alive who can close those gates again."

"We know how they got here and why they're here," Bulma shakily said, her hand on the side of Vegeta's face. His skin felt cold, and his eyes were still closed, but he was stirring. Bulma looked up. "But how do we get rid of them?"

Mia said nothing as she stared down at the woman on her knees and the man laid out in front of her. She stared at them in silence for some moments, her thoughts suddenly drifting towards her daughter. Her lips drew into a line.

"I think I know a way."

"Oh, thank god," Bulma breathed in relief, looking back down at her husband to rouse him from the stupor he was still in.

"I have to go upstairs. I'll be back," Mia announced, getting a nod from the younger woman. She then turned and headed up the steps. She looked back down when she was near the top, and could barely see the couple.

Vegeta grunted softly, slowly forcing his eyes open. He squeezed his eyes shut when he saw Frieza, his heart suddenly racing - but when he opened them again, he saw only Bulma. She gave him a smile of relief when they made eye contact. It took him a moment to regain his bearings, though he couldn't seem to stop his hands from shaking.

Feeling ludicrously weak, the prince opened his mouth to inform his wife that they were never doing anything involving his memories again, when Mia spoke first.

"Sorry, Bulma," she said, her voice emotionless. Bulma looked up. "But this is the only thing that's gonna stop the dead now. There ain't no other way."

"Wait, what? What's going on?" Bulma asked, quickly scrambling up to her feet. Vegeta sluggishly pulled himself up so he was sitting, looking at his body and expecting to see the marks of all the doctors had done to him. His hands were still shaking and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force his memories back. "Mia?"

"Sorry, girl. But the only way this ends is if he dies, that's clear now."

Bulma was running up the steps when the hidden floor door was slammed shut. She tried to push it open, but it was weighted on the other side. Bulma pivoted and pushed with all her strength, but it wouldn't budge. She pounded hard on the door in vain, and screamed for Mia to let them out.

"Sorry, kids. These things done waited this long, ain't no apology gonna help either. And if you can't do what needs to be done, Bulma, then you leave me no choice," Mia yelled from the other side.

Meanwhile, Vegeta was using all his strength to try to make it back up to his feet, when Mia's crystal ball exploded. Startled, he fell back sitting down. He glanced warily at the destroyed crystal ball, only to see some type of blue gas rising out of the remnants of glass. It rose and started spreading, and he raised an arm to shield his face, but his eyes and throat were already burning.

"Don't worry. It'll all be over soon."


End file.
